Ukraine has asked the United States to explain new speed restrictions on Starshield, the militarised version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, a source in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry told journalists on November 13, The Kyiv Independent reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the same day that Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi were in contact with the American side, while SpaceX told Ukrainian media and Axios that no restrictions exist.
Key facts
- Zelensky wrote on X on November 12, after briefings from Khmara and Drapatyi, that restrictions limit Starshield’s operating speed to 161 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour), the Kyiv Independent reported.
- A Defence Ministry source told the Kyiv Independent that specialists had recorded that limit across all Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by Russia, with no restrictions recorded on territory Ukraine controls.
- SpaceX’s response to Axios, quoted by the Kyiv Independent, was: “This is false. There has been no change.”
- The bipartisan Ukraine Caucus in the US House of Representatives, a group of 105 lawmakers, called on November 12 for the Trump administration and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to fully restore the Ukrainian military’s Starshield access, in a letter reported by the Kyiv Independent.
- The Pentagon’s inspector general has declined to investigate an earlier round of disruptions, calling it a contractual matter for the US Air Force and US Space Force, according to a document seen by ABC News and reported by Yahoo News.
Why it matters
Zelensky said the restrictions apply over Russian-occupied territory and along the front line, which he said makes it “impossible” to use interceptors against Shahed-type drones, per the Kyiv Independent. He said some Russian strikes had already landed because Ukrainian interceptor systems could not reach the speed needed to catch their targets in time.
The president framed the problem as deliberate rather than technical, saying the disruptions are not “random errors” but systematic restrictions. His earlier assessment of the cap was that it “is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine.”
What Ukrainian units say they are seeing
A Ukrainian commander at corps level fighting in Donetsk Oblast told the Kyiv Independent, on condition of anonymity, that a 160 kilometre-per-hour limit was still in force, making middle-strike drones easier for Russian forces to intercept or evade. A senior member of a Ukrainian unit in the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed the same development to the outlet.
Ukraine’s military has been experiencing significant disruption to the system for several days, Zelensky said on November 12, when he first described the service as capped at 161km/h. The outlet notes that Ukraine uses both commercial Starlink terminals and Starshield, and that this year’s mid-range strike campaign has allowed Ukraine to strangle Russian logistics and hamper Russia’s ability to fight on the front lines.
SpaceX and Musk on the record
Musk has previously alleged that Kyiv used commercial Starlink terminals for “offensive drone strikes to kill people,” adding that the loophole had been closed. He rejected responsibility for Starshield restrictions, saying the militarised terminals are controlled by the US government, and on October 24 said that if Starlink were switched off the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately — a statement of fact rather than a threat, in his framing. All three remarks come from the Kyiv Independent’s reporting.
Livemint separately quoted Musk saying SpaceX had “done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR.”
The Pentagon watchdog stepped aside
Platte Moring, who leads the independent inspector general’s office at the Pentagon, told lawmakers that the reported disruptions to Starlink and Starshield were a contractual matter best addressed to the US Air Force and US Space Force, which hold jurisdiction over the US military’s contract with SpaceX, according to a document seen by ABC News and reported by Yahoo News. Spokesperson Mollie Halpern said the office had carefully considered the congressional request and decided the matters were best addressed by the department, adding that it may reconsider if new information emerges.
Nine senators — four Republicans and five Democrats — had asked for the inquiry, Interfax-Ukraine reported, citing The Washington Post. They wanted to know whether Pentagon or other US officials issued directives or permissions for changes to intelligence sharing, warning systems or the operation of Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine, and whether they knew in advance. A congressional aide said lawmakers also want to establish whether Musk exploited a specific loophole in the system; Kyiv has still had no formal answer.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat in the group, called the decision not to proceed “concerning,” saying the Trump administration and SpaceX had given conflicting accounts of what caused disruptions that weakened Ukraine’s defences and put American personnel in Ukraine at risk. She urged the inspector general to conduct a full investigation.
Background: the October shutdown
Ukrainian military personnel first recorded operational limits on Starshield terminals on the night of October 14, Interfax-Ukraine reported, citing sources in the Defence Ministry. Commanders reported lost drones and disrupted missions during that period, Livemint said, and some units turned to other satellite providers.
On Saturday, October 24, after more than a week of limits, Zelensky said access had been restored to previous speeds, writing that “the speeds are now where they need to be,” per Livemint. Trump told The Wall Street Journal he had asked Musk to ease the restrictions, and Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelensky’s diplomacy with Washington. That restoration is the one point on which the accounts converge: Livemint, Interfax-Ukraine and the Yahoo News report all carried statements from US or Ukrainian officials that the service was back to normal conditions — unlike the question of who imposed the limits, or whether they exist at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Starlink and Starshield?
According to Livemint, Starlink is SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet network, while Starshield is the company’s government-focused satellite service, built using technology drawn from the Starlink network.
Was the same speed limit applied to every Starshield terminal in October?
No. Interfax-Ukraine, citing sources in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, reported that terminals lost connectivity when moving above a set threshold that varied by equipment, ranging from roughly 72 to 161 km/h. The outlet said the limits complicated interceptor drones, strike UAVs, logistics, reconnaissance and signal relaying.
Who ordered the October speed restrictions?
Accounts conflict. Interfax-Ukraine reported that Musk acknowledged SpaceX restricted commercial Starlink speeds in Ukraine over terms-of-service violations. President Donald Trump said he gave no such orders, Vice President JD Vance hinted at coordination between the White House and Musk, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied administration involvement.
What did Ukraine do about communications while the October limits were in force?
Interfax-Ukraine reported that Ukraine’s Defence Ministry held consultations with the United States, SpaceX and NATO partners while testing backup communication channels. Defence Minister Khmara later said ministry monitoring systems were recording the restoration of Starlink and Starshield speeds.
![Using Your Own Router with Starlink: Bypass Mode [2026]](https://starlink-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/using-your-own-router-with-starlink-bypass-mode-20-f6c09f95-120x86.png)
