Zelensky aide links Starlink speed limits affecting Ukrainian drones to politics

Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said new Starlink restrictions had disrupted some Ukrainian battlefield missions. The reported limit affects terminals that lose connectivity when a vehicle or other asset exceeds 160 km/h (99 mph).

Beskrestnov said SpaceX introduced the restriction overnight without notifying Ukraine. He suggested the move was connected to the current political situation, but Elon Musk’s company has not commented.

Drones and logistics affected

A Ukrainian defence ministry source told the BBC that the cause of the problem was being investigated. Ministry sources said a terminal disconnects once the asset carrying it passes the speed threshold.

They said the change made it harder to operate interceptor and middle-strike drones, while also weakening frontline logistics, reconnaissance and signal-relay capabilities. Beskrestnov called Starlink the most effective tool for guiding interceptors against Russia’s newly developed jet-powered drones.

Restrictions followed fresh strikes

The statement came after overnight Russian missile and drone attacks that left at least 600,000 people without electricity, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Three people were reported killed in Kyiv, while local officials later said at least six died in a drone strike on a warehouse in Lutsk.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones. It reported that four missiles and 115 drones were shot down.

Zelensky said critical energy infrastructure was hit in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Kharkiv. The attacks followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire”; Moscow and Kyiv have described its terms differently.

Starlink is used by Ukrainian forces for internet access and drone operations. In February, Musk’s decision to deny Russian forces access to the system reportedly disrupted their advance in Ukraine.