Ukraine said on Wednesday that unexpected speed limits on SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service had disrupted military missions along the front line, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged feeling betrayed by Washington after a US deal to import Russian diesel.
Starlink terminals reportedly lose their connection to the network when moving faster than about 160 km/h (100 mph). Kyiv relies on the service to guide drones to Russian targets and to help protect its skies. A Ukrainian Defence Ministry source said the limit particularly affects interceptor drones and mid-range strike drones, and also weakens logistics, reconnaissance and signal relay near the front. Reports suggest static terminals have not lost signal, so the impact is felt mostly on the front line. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said Ukrainian forces had received no warning and that the move was "not a coincidence" but linked to the current political situation. Zelenskyy said he hoped it was a mistake or a technical problem, and warned that people would die if the service stayed restricted. By Wednesday evening, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said connectivity had been partially restored, and he urged that the limit be removed entirely.
Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX, pointed to Washington. He wrote on X that Starshield, the military-grade sister service to Starlink, is owned and controlled by the US government, and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. He added that Starlink itself is restricted to civilian or defensive use. The two services are not wholly separate: Starshield relies on the Starlink satellite constellation, though it uses dedicated terminals and enhanced encryption. The US government has not commented, and SpaceX has not publicly addressed the speed limits. Musk also wrote that it was "time for Zelensky to go".
The dispute comes amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington. President Donald Trump has grown frustrated with Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities and last Sunday announced a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, which both sides have effectively ignored. Zelenskyy has said the US threatened to limit intelligence sharing if he did not accept it; Trump denied this, and NATO chief Mark Rutte said he believed him. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine would stop hitting Russian energy sites if Moscow did the same, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued a truce would only let Europe arm Ukraine further.
Overnight Russian strikes killed at least three people in Kyiv, and about 600,000 people lost electricity. Ukraine's air force said it shot down only four of 39 ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia said it downed 902 Ukrainian drones, including 180 aimed at Moscow, and Ukraine reportedly damaged a large data centre under construction in Russia.
In London, Zelenskyy was received by Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles. Asked whether he felt betrayed by the diesel deal, he said "really yes... but it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions." Britain announced it would speed up deliveries of lightweight multirole missiles, used to bring down Russian drones. "We are behind you and that will not change," Burnham said.
The episode matters because Starlink has been central to Ukraine's communications since the early days of the 2022 full-scale invasion, and any restriction, deliberate or not, directly affects how Ukraine fights.