Ukraine is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a speed cap on its military satellite communication service KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a speed cap on its military satellite communication service, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, but the country has no explanation for why the restriction was imposed at a time when Kyiv is increasingly at odds with Washington. The cap, imposed without warning early Thursday, cuts the internet data connection when a communication terminal moves faster than 160 kph (100 mph), which is common for Ukrainian drones equipped with Starshield, the military version of the Starlink satellite service offered by SpaceX. The restriction forced the drones to fly slower than usual, making it easier for Russian weapons to target or evade them.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said this week that the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield, with decisions about its use resting with the American military and, ultimately, with President Donald Trump. The Pentagon has not answered questions from AP about the restriction. Trump told reporters Friday that he did not order restrictions on the system.
He also doubted that the disruption came from Musk. The speed restriction disrupted front-line operations and left Ukraine more exposed to Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones, which fly at more than 400 kph (250 mph). Kyiv recently found a way to counter the drones after weeks of relentless attacks that killed dozens of civilians.
Ukraine relies on Starshield, which previously had no speed limit, to control interceptor drones that chase down the jet-powered drones at speeds far above the cap. Starshield is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations. Beskrestnov described it as a package managed by the Pentagon and the U.S. government and offered to partner countries for military use.
It has separate fees and terms from the civilian satellite service, as well as a more stable, higher priority connection. Beskrestnov stressed that it is not used on Russian territory and that Starshield provides no service to Ukrainian drones used to attack oil refineries there. After the restriction took effect, Ukraine began speaking about it almost immediately because it “could not be hidden,” with so many units relying on the service, Beskrestnov said.
He was the first Ukrainian official to publicly confirm the restriction. Problems soon mounted, Beskrestnov said, with communication outages on top of the speed restriction, most likely caused by the new limits. After Ukraine raised the issue, SpaceX fixed the outages, but the cap remained in place.
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