SpaceX denies Starshield change after Ukraine reports drone defence disruption

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian units had recorded significant disruptions to Starshield for several days along the entire front line and over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.

He said military checks had found a systematic speed limit of 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph), rather than random faults. The reported limit concerns how fast equipment using the satellite connection can travel, not the speed of internet data. Starshield is the military service associated with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network.

Zelenskyy said the restriction was making it harder to intercept Russian jet-powered drones and that some had struck their targets because Ukrainian interceptors could not reach them in time.

SpaceX told Axios: “This is false. There has been no change.” Its brief response did not specify a location, period or technical measure, leaving unclear whether it addressed precisely the circumstances described by Zelenskyy.

In October, Zelenskyy said satellite links had returned to their previous speeds after earlier restrictions disrupted frontline operations. Ukraine is seeking clarification from the United States about the latest reports; the cause and extent of any current disruption remain unclear.