Ukraine Says Starlink Restrictions Disrupted Military Missions

Ukrainian officials say new Starlink restrictions disrupted military drone operations and other missions. The claims were reported by Reuters and the Financial Times and summarized by The Verge.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian defense technology adviser, wrote on Telegram that Starlink had introduced a restriction preventing connections to devices traveling faster than 100mph. He said the change had disrupted several missions and affected Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian drone strikes. Ukrainian officials said the limits were introduced without warning.

Beskrestnov said the action was related to the political situation, but that connection is his assessment. The reported restriction followed Elon Musk’s post on X that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “has gone too far,” after US President Donald Trump criticized Ukraine’s targeting of Russian oil refineries.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski, whose government pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, criticized Musk in a post on X and questioned whether he was using his products for political purposes. SpaceX did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.