Ukraine says Musk’s SpaceX limits Kyiv’s Starlink access

Russia launched an unprovoked, illegal, full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

“Tonight SpaceX introduced a speed limit for the Starlink terminals in motion,” said Presidential Adviser Sergiy Beskrestnov.

“Our defence forces were not warned about this restriction, which led to the disruption of a number of missions,” he added.

“Obviously, this action cannot be a coincidence and is linked to the current political situation,” he added.

That political situation refers to US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to lift sanctions on buying Russian oil. 

Trump has also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — saying he needs to stop attacking Russian oil infrastructure and that he should be replaced because “he won’t make a deal” with Russia.

Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed this year due to the US and Israel’s war on Iran and its global consequences.

Russia has meanwhile continued to target Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Trump has insisted, without providing evidence, that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an “energy ceasefire.” But Moscow and Kyiv have both denied this.

On Tuesday evening, Russian ballistic missiles hit a Kyiv power plant. Ukrainian officials said the Starlink outages had coincided with overnight Russian attacks.

Will Elon Musk give Ukraine Starlink’s eyes over Russia?09:50This browser does not support the video element.

Ukrainian troops use Starlink to conduct drone operations and internet terminals supplied by Elon Musk’s company are key to operating long-distance strikes.

Presidential Advisor Beskrestnov said SpaceX had cut off access to its military-grade version of Starlink above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), adding that Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the southeast, had been forced to cancel some missions.

“According to our ‌observations, during flights, the connection could drop for 10–20 seconds at speeds of ‌just 110–120 ​km/h. The drones kept moving, but these interruptions made them harder to control,” a Reaction Corps representative told Reuters news agency.

A source in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said such limitations significantly complicate logistics and ​drone operations.

Ukraine has used Starlink terminals as an alternative to radio control for its drones as well as for ground communications since shortly after Russia launched its invasion.

Starlink’s resistance to electronic jamming has made it a crucial tool for flying long-range attack drones as well as large hexacopters that drop supplies for Ukraine’s frontline troops.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a key Donald Trump supporter, has, however, repeatedly shifted his stance on Ukraine since the early days of Russia’s invasion.

In August, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Kyiv was looking to create an alternative to Musk’s Starlink, in concert “with a European country.”

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