Ukraine Says Starlink Speed Restrictions Still in Place Despite Trump's Assurances
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Ukraine said restrictions on SpaceX’s military-grade Starshield satellite terminals remain in effect, despite President Donald Trump’s statement this week that the company had reversed them, CNBC reported. Since 14 October, Ukrainian forces have accused SpaceX of imposing speed limits that cut connectivity to terminals travelling above 100 miles per hour, disabling drones in flight, the network said.
“As of today, nothing has changed,” Ukraine’s deputy ambassador to the United States, Denys Sienik, said on Friday, adding that “every day that passes matters,” according to CNBC. Dmitri Alperovitch, chief executive of the Silverado Policy Accelerator and a former intelligence executive, told CNBC that Ukrainian units “are losing drones” because the restrictions sever links to fast-moving aircraft, limiting strikes on Russian logistics, the network reported.
Trump said on Thursday that SpaceX boss Elon Musk had “put it back,” suggesting the speed caps had been lifted, CNBC reported. But on Friday Trump said he had not spoken with Musk about the matter, the network said. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had spoken with Musk about ending the speed caps for Ukraine’s Starlink service. The Financial Times reported that Ukraine said speeds remained throttled.
The dispute has centred on the Starshield constellation, the secure variant of Starlink used by the US military and its allies, CNBC said. Ukraine’s military has relied on Starlink terminals to guide long-range drones that strike airfields, fuel depots and other targets deep inside Russian-held territory, and the speed limit disables terminals moving faster than about 100mph, the network reported. Ukrainian officials and allied commentators have warned the caps hand Russia an advantage on the battlefield, while some US commentators have argued the limits prevent Ukraine from using the constellation for offensive operations that could widen the war, CNBC said.
SpaceX has not publicly detailed the restrictions, CNBC reported. The company has previously said its commercial Starlink service operates under terms of service that bar its use as a weapons system. The standoff leaves Ukrainian drone units adapting mid-campaign, with some turning to alternative links, Alperovitch told CNBC.