SpaceX on Thursday denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that Starshield systems are again being throttled in his country, just weeks after Kyiv said similar issues had been resolved.
In October, Kyiv reported the first round of restrictions on Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military version of Starlink that Ukraine uses to boost drone-strike missions and air defenses against Russia. At the time, Zelensky suggested that CEO Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the United States, which owns Starshield, had deliberately restricted the systems as part of a “planned operation,” since the technology was working as normal in adjacent European Union countries.
After roughly 10 days of disruption, the issue was resolved on Oct. 24, with Musk suggesting he had temporarily cut off Starlink because Ukraine was using it for offensive strikes, instead of only defensive use.
But Zelensky said Thursday that Starshield is being throttled again, saying systems are being cut off at about 100 miles per hour. SpaceX told the Washington Examiner that Zelensky’s claims are false, and that there have been no changes to Starshield.
Zelensky said he is seeking details “from the American side, but so far, we know very little,” and floated the idea that there could be “someone in America … making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian.”
“This directly affects our ability to intercept Russian jet-powered ‘shahed’ drones. These drones come from those areas, and because of the speed restrictions, we simply cannot catch up with them in time,” the Ukrainian president said in a statement posted to X. “Near the frontline, we cannot use our aircraft. Only drone interceptors can operate there. And without the speed we need, shooting down these ‘shaheds’ becomes much harder.”
Ukraine uses both Starshield and Starlink in its battle against Russia. Starshield is the military version of Starlink operated and owned by the U.S. government. Starlink is the civilian system operated by Musk’s company.
The Ukrainian Embassy to the U.S. told the Washington Examiner that limitations on Starshield in Ukrainian-occupied territories and across the contact line “started gradually several days ago.”
“The contact line is the first line of our defense and the first point for interception of Russian drones,” Denys Sienik said. “We don’t have clarification from Space X or Pentagon at the moment.”
President Donald Trump and Musk reportedly worked in tandem to restrict the system in October, in the wake of the White House’s frustration that Ukraine wouldn’t agree to peace deals Kyiv found too amenable to Moscow, and blew up oil refineries in Russia in defiance of Washington’s request not to do so.
The two men initially suggested they were not to fault for the restrictions last month. After the systems were unthrottled, Musk said there had been a “loophole” in which Ukraine was using it for offensive purposes against Russia, saying that he had resolved the issue.
“Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” he said on X. “Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now.”
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Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has engaged in persistent efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which sparked in 2022.
Representatives from Washington, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, landed in Moscow on Thursday to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, before meeting with Zelensky in Ireland. The encounter marks an expansion of the latest round of peace talks held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Mike Brest contributed to this report.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
