Ukrainian officials say Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink was subject to new restrictions overnight into Wednesday, and that the change disrupted military operations. Serhij Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's presidential office, said the owner company SpaceX introduced speed limits on the network, according to Dagens Nyheter.
Under those limits, drones connected through Starlink that travel faster than 160 kilometres per hour risk losing their link. Beskrestnov wrote on social media that Ukraine's armed forces were given no notice of the change, and that a number of missions consequently failed.
He does not treat the timing as coincidental. In his account, the restrictions are tied to the current political situation, and he points to the close relationship between SpaceX owner Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump. Beskrestnov said it is likely SpaceX acted at the request of the Trump administration, Dagens Nyheter reports, citing The Guardian.
Why it matters
Starlink has been a load-bearing part of Ukraine's defence since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Because the system runs on satellites rather than mobile towers, it is harder for an adversary to knock out than ground-based infrastructure. That resilience is exactly why the network became routine for Ukrainian forces — and why a sudden change in its performance is felt immediately.
The same night brought a second development. American early warnings about Russian attacks on Kyiv were absent on both Monday and Tuesday, which may indicate the United States did not pass on intelligence. According to the EU, there are no signs that Washington has stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine altogether.
Hans Liwång, a professor of defence systems at the Swedish Defence University, told Dagens Nyheter that NATO intelligence, which is driven by the US military, is very important for Ukraine's ability to prepare for attacks or for shifts in the war.
A network with no real substitute
Starlink is used above all to provide internet connectivity, which the military needs for internal communication and for contact with leadership in Kyiv. Certain types of larger drones are also steered over Starlink.
Liwång said the alternative is a military radio system, but described it as often more cumbersome and carrying its own shortcomings. That, he said, is why forces grew accustomed to relying on Starlink.
He noted that having mobile networks, Ukraine's own radio system and Starlink all available is preferable. Still, he called Starlink's market position unique, mainly because the company has managed to put a very large number of satellites into orbit.
The practical risk from a sudden change is direct. If performance shifts without warning, there is a significant chance the operator can no longer control the drone, Liwång said.
Political context around the timing
The developments sit against a backdrop of friction between Washington and Kyiv. Trump has blamed Ukraine for high fuel prices in the United States, attributing them to Ukrainian strikes on Russian fuel depots. At the same time, he has signed an agreement with President Vladimir Putin that is meant to let Russia sell diesel on American and global markets — a deal that has drawn criticism.
Beskrestnov's claim that the Starlink restrictions are political, rather than technical or commercial, has not been independently confirmed in the reporting. SpaceX has not been cited responding to the accusation in the material available. What is documented is the adviser's public statement, the reported speed threshold of 160 kilometres per hour, and the absence of advance notice to Ukraine's armed forces as described by him.
The episode also revives a recurring question about the war: how much of Ukraine's battlefield capability rests on infrastructure owned and operated by a single private company, and how quickly that dependency can be turned into leverage. Starlink's advantage — a large satellite constellation that is difficult to disable — is the same feature that makes any change to its terms consequential for operations on the ground.
What to watch
Attention now turns to whether SpaceX confirms, denies or explains the reported speed limits, and whether US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine resumes in the form of missile warnings for Kyiv.
