Ukraine's army hit by 'significant disruptions' to Starshield, with speed restrictions imposed again, Zelenskyy says
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine's army is once again experiencing 'significant disruptions' to Starshield's operations over Ukraine, with systematic speed restrictions limiting the military satellite service to 161 kilometres per hour. He said the restrictions, in place for several days along the whole front line, are not random errors, and that they complicate intercepting Russia's jet-powered drones. He did not say who imposed them, and said Ukraine is trying to establish the circumstances with the American side. A similar speed cap in October was lifted after about a week.
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Key points
- Zelenskyy says Ukraine's army is again facing 'significant disruptions' to Starshield, with systematic speed restrictions limiting it to 161 km/h.
- He says the restrictions have run for several days along the whole front line, are not random errors, and are hampering interception of Russia's jet-powered drones.
- He did not say who imposed the restrictions, and said Ukraine is establishing the circumstances with the American side.
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- A similar cap in October was lifted after about a week; who ordered it was never settled on the record.
What happened
Starshield is SpaceX's military-grade satellite service, run on the same constellation as the civilian Starlink network, and Ukraine relies on it for military communications and to fly the drones it uses against Russian attacks. Zelenskyy's post came while US envoys were in Moscow for talks on ending the war, and a day after the Abu Dhabi talks ended without a breakthrough.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- That Zelenskyy has said, in his own post, that Starshield is again disrupted over Ukraine, with speed restrictions at 161 km/h in place for several days.
- That a similar cap was imposed in October and lifted after about a week, on the defence minister's statement.
What we don't know yet
- Who imposed the renewed restrictions — Zelenskyy did not say, and no SpaceX, Pentagon or White House response has been reported.
- How long the restrictions will last, and whether they will be lifted as the October ones were.
- The full operational effect beyond the president's account — no independent assessment has been published.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (3)
Why this label: The statement is the president's own post, reported by the Guardian's Europe live blog. That he said it is verified by his own words; who imposed the restrictions is a separate question, and he did not name anyone.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The consequences are carried as the president's own account of them in the same post; no independent operational assessment has been published in the reporting read.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The October episode is documented by AP's interview with the presidential adviser and by Reuters' report of the defence minister's restoration statement; who ordered the October cap was disputed at the time and was never settled on the record.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
Ukraine's air defence depends on satellite links that the United States controls. A speed restriction imposed from outside — whoever imposed it — degrades Kyiv's ability to intercept Russia's fastest drones in the middle of peace talks in which Washington is the mediator.
Background
A speed cap of about 161 km/h is imposed on Ukraine's military satellite terminals, disrupting interceptor drones; Kyiv opens talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift it.
Ukraine's defence minister says monitoring shows Starlink and Starshield speeds above 400 km/h restored, after more than a week of disruption.
Zelenskyy posts that the army is once again experiencing significant Starshield disruptions, with systematic speed restrictions at 161 km/h.
Update history
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Published in Checking state — the disruption is stated in the president's own post, and who imposed the restrictions, and any American response, are not yet known.