SpaceX imposed a new speed-based restriction on Starlink and Starshield satellite terminals used by Ukrainian forces on 14 October 2026, cutting connectivity when terminals move at speeds exceeding approximately 160 kilometres per hour, according to Ukrainian officials. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky on military technology, said in a Telegram post that Ukraine's defence forces received no warning about the limitation, and that the disruption led to the cancellation of several drone missions. Reuters reported that drones sometimes lost connectivity for up to 20 seconds even at lower speeds of around 110–120 kilometres per hour.
Zelensky, speaking in London, said 'we had massive [Russian] attacks today and it's a pity that we also had difficulties ... about Starlink and about intelligence' [Source: Axios]. He separately posted on X that Russian forces were attempting to take advantage of the problems with Starlink, noting that Ukraine's interceptor drones depend on the connection. Ukraine's Armed Forces learned of the speed restrictions from SpaceX customer support only after filing a complaint about operational issues, with SpaceX providing no prior warning, according to a source familiar with the matter. By later in the day, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said SpaceX had eased the cap to 160 kph, higher than the initial restriction but still below normal operating speeds.
Elon Musk said on X that 'Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government' and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president [Source: CNN]. Musk added that Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX and 'cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.' A senior US official said the Trump administration had nothing to do with the alleged service constraints, with some US officials pointing to a technical malfunction; Ukrainian officials said they remained suspicious. Starshield arrangements for Ukraine were contracted through the US government until mid-May 2027.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski publicly challenged Musk on X, writing: 'Are you playing politics with your products again?' and adding 'As your European customers, we are watching you' [Source: Bloomberg].
The incident follows a series of tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The Trump administration warned Ukraine last weekend that the US could suspend intelligence sharing and European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine if Kyiv does not halt those strikes. Musk had also written on X on Saturday, in response to a White House video of Trump criticising Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities, that 'Zelenskyy has gone too far.' The dispute additionally follows Trump's agreement with Moscow to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports. Poland's digitization ministry pays approximately $50 million per year to fund Starlink for Ukraine, Sikorski has previously said, and Warsaw clashed with Musk last year over his earlier threat to cut off Kyiv's access to the service. SpaceX first announced Starshield, its military-grade satellite communications programme designed for government customers, in late 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had no further information about the Starlink disruptions in Ukraine.
Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, Forbes, Euronews, CNN, Axios