This story has moved on: Zelenskyy accuses SpaceX of restricting Ukraine's military satellites

Summarised from 8 outlets · 10 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 08:27 · Archive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the military-grade Starshield satellite network is again subject to speed restrictions affecting defence operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Ukrainian military units had recorded significant disruptions to SpaceX's Starshield satellite communications service over several days. The restrictions affected the entire front line and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Zelensky emphasised that the issues were 'systematic speed restrictions' rather than random errors, stating that military units had investigated the circumstances and confirmed they were intentional.

Starshield is the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink network. According to multiple reports, the speed restrictions limit operations to approximately 100 miles per hour (161 kilometres per hour). Zelensky said this was proving a 'significant complication in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones', which travel much faster than that speed. Ukrainian officials said the restrictions started gradually three days before Zelensky's Thursday announcement and had reached 100 per cent across the contact line.

Zelensky stated that the restrictions were 'helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes'. The New York Post reported that following a massive Russian barrage across Ukraine, Zelensky said this directly affected the military's ability to intercept Russian 'shahed' drones, adding that 'more Russian strikes get through, and more of our people are killed by Russia'. By Friday, Zelensky reiterated in his nightly video address that speed restrictions remained in place along the entire front line and in temporarily-occupied territories, stating he expected the Ukrainian defence and foreign ministries to work with relevant US structures to resolve the issue.

Ukraine first reported problems with Starshield in mid-October following tensions between Zelensky and President Trump over a US-Russia diesel deal. During those earlier disruptions, President Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk each denied responsibility, though Musk later accused Ukraine of misusing Starlink for military purposes before all sides said full access had been restored on 24 October. This week's disruptions occurred as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky said 'We are trying to establish all the circumstances with the American side' and complained that the US had provided 'very little' information about the return of the restrictions. The New York Post reported Zelensky suggesting the restrictions were intentional and timed to affect peace negotiations, saying 'If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going'. Ukrainian officials reportedly believed the limit was reinstated to put pressure on Ukraine during peace talks.

SpaceX denied any responsibility. SpaceX's media relations department told Ars Technica: 'This is false. There has been no change.' SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has previously said that decisions on Starshield restrictions are made by the US government. The Pentagon inspector general's office has declined a request from US senators to investigate who ordered the earlier restrictions.

The timing of the new disruptions coincided with Russian attacks across Ukraine. CBS News reported that Russian drones hit an apartment building in Kyiv, killing one woman, while more energy infrastructure was damaged in Rivne in Ukraine's northwest. The Guardian reported that Russia attacked a hospital in central Kyiv, with a drone hitting the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics and injuring three people. Democratic US senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons asked Elon Musk to preserve SpaceX's records relating to the restrictions, giving the company until 30 November to confirm it had done so.

How it is being reported

• Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow strikes hospital in central Kyiv as Zelensky says Starshield restrictions continueVolodymyr Zelensky said speed restrictions on Starshield ‘limit our ability to intercept jet-powered Shaheds and counter other drones’Independent World · 14 Nov, 05:38
• Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says Starshield restrictions continue on ‘entire front line’Curbs on SpaceX system are making it hard to intercept drones and sending bad signal to Russia, says Ukrainian president. What we know on day 1,725 Continue reading...The Guardian · 14 Nov, 02:06
• Zelenskyy says Ukraine's Starshield use limited again amid meeting with U.S. envoysUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the country's Starshield defense system has been limited again as President Trump's senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, hold separate talks with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.CBS News · 13 Nov, 01:37
• Ukraine faces Starshield speed restrictions again, Zelensky saysUkraine is once again facing speed restrictions when operating SpaceX's Starshield military system, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.New York Post · 12 Nov, 20:24
• Ukraine says SpaceX Starshield is restricted again; SpaceX claims it isn’tReport: Ukraine suspects speeds limits are intended to help Russia in peace talks.Ars Technica · 12 Nov, 19:09
• Zelenskyy says Starshield has been slowed again, endangering Ukraine's defenseIt comes three weeks after Ukraine's speeds were restored following the last throttling incident.Engadget · 12 Nov, 17:45
• Putin says Russia will target foreign troops deployed to UkraineHardline remarks come as Ukrainian military faces disruptions to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service Vladimir Putin warned US negotiators that Russia would target any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine, in a series of hardline remarks that came as the Ukrainian military faced renewed disruptions to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service. During the talks at the Kremlin with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on Thursday, the Russian president refused to soften his territorial demands, insisting on full control over four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed. Continue…The Guardian · 12 Nov, 17:26
• Ukraine says Starshield throttled again as U.S. pushes for a dealUkraine says its ability to intercept Russian strikes is again hampered by speed restrictions on Musk's Starshield network amid U.S.-led diplomacy.CBS News · 12 Nov, 16:56
• Zelensky reveals new 'systematic' restrictions on troops' use of Elon Musk's crucial Starshield satellite internet: 'These are not random errors'Ukraine first reported problems using Starshield last month following a row between Mr Zelensky and Donald Trump over a US-Russia diesel deal.Daily Mail · 12 Nov, 10:27
• New 'systematic' restrictions to Starshield network 'kill more Ukrainians', Zelensky saysUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said that Ukrainian military units had recorded new and significant disruptions to the Starshield satellite communications service in recent days, affecting the entire front line and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.France 24 · 12 Nov, 10:06

In this story: Volodymyr Zelensky · Elon Musk · Donald Trump · Vladimir Putin · SpaceX · Ukraine · Russia · Moscow

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