Starlink access restricted for Ukrainian drones and air defence

Ukraine's military reported on Tuesday evening that the Starlink satellite internet system, made by SpaceX but managed by the US government, has stopped working on terminals moving faster than 100mph (160km/h). The limit affects Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defences in the war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the move as a betrayal by US President Donald Trump.

Impact at the front

Kyiv fits Starlink receivers to many of its drones as part of onboard guidance. Ukraine says the change came without any explanation from Washington. It had two immediate effects: most drones Ukraine uses to hit targets behind the frontlines became inoperable, and air defences that stop Russian drones attacking Kyiv were hampered. Russian Shahed drones fly at close to 200mph, so Ukrainian interceptor drones cannot catch them. Starlink is not used for the long-range missions that have hit Russian oil refineries in recent months.

Starlink and Starshield

Starlink is SpaceX's commercial satellite internet service. Starshield is a SpaceX business unit that builds military and intelligence satellite systems for the Pentagon, the US defence department. SpaceX says Starlink cannot be used for offensive military action, only for defensive purposes or by civilian clients. Starshield permits such uses, applies stronger encryption and lets users integrate sensors, for example on drones. It relies on the Starlink network of 11,000 satellites.

Who decided

Musk said the Ukrainian military was linked to Starshield because Starlink is not licensed for clients using weapons. In his words, Starshield systems are owned by the US government, and speed or usage limits are set by the US military and ultimately the president. The White House has neither confirmed nor denied this. The Trump administration has, however, been pressing Ukraine to limit strikes on energy targets inside Russia.

Reaction

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy said he felt personally betrayed and that Kyiv was "losing a strong partner". He warned: "This decision will bring a lot of human losses … of course, people will die." Democrats on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee called the restrictions "unconscionable". Republican senator Tom Tillis wrote that supporting Ukrainian sovereignty should not be a gray area.