Connectivity breakdowns on the frontline — affecting drone operations in progress — have been linked by Ukrainian officials to constraints placed on certain Starlink satellite internet services by SpaceX, a claim relayed through a news outlet on Wednesday.
The satellite internet terminals that Ukrainian forces rely on to direct combat drones went offline across operations in Russian-occupied southern and eastern Ukraine after access restrictions took effect without advance notice. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noted in a Telegram post that the absence of any prior alert contributed to the failure of several missions.
This followed statements by Donald Trump directed at Ukraine regarding its long-range strikes against Russian energy facilities, with his administration having pushed Kyiv to bring those operations to a stop.
According to Beskrestnov, SpaceX has placed velocity-based restrictions on its military-tier Starlink service, cutting off normal function at speeds above 160 km/h (100 mph). Drone operations by Ukrainian forces depend on Starlink's satellite-based internet links to maintain communications in the field, and the limitations placed on that access have undermined those capabilities.
A unit's statement noted that connectivity losses of 10 to 20 seconds had been recorded during flights at speeds between 110 and 120 km/h, a pattern that led some missions to be called off. A written communication from the unit to a broadcaster noted that, while the drones remained in motion throughout, the disruptions that occurred along the way made operating them considerably more difficult.
The defence ministry added that the measures had placed a strain on military supply chains and certain drone activities.
Rolled out across Ukrainian territory when the full-scale conflict began in 2022, the Starlink network has taken on a central role in how the country's armed forces coordinate and communicate on the ground. Troop formations rely on the satellite internet service to keep lines of communication open, synchronise field operations, and stay connected in zones where ground-based infrastructure has been knocked out or severed.
Starlink's resistance to electronic jamming has made it a widely used communications layer for drone operations — from long-range attack platforms to the heavier hexacopters carrying provisions toward front-line positions. Drone operations targeting supply lines across Russian-held areas of southern and eastern Ukraine have drawn on this technology in ways that stand out within the broader aerial campaign.
No explanation was given at the time for SpaceX's move to place limits on certain Starlink services. Pressure from Washington on Kyiv to stop targeting oil refining infrastructure on Russian territory preceded this latest turn of events.
According to one news outlet, Starlink has no active service within Russian territory, and Ukrainian aerial vehicles aimed at oil infrastructure there rely on different communications systems.
Concerns within Kyiv about whether allied partners were providing timely advance notice of incoming Russian missile strikes have formed a backdrop to the reported restrictions. Advance notice of the kind typically provided before missile attacks on the capital was not passed along for some of the recent strikes, according to statements from Ukrainian officials.
