Ukraine says SpaceX’s Starlink inhibits drone strikes on Russia without warning: What we know | Today’s news
Ukraine said restrictions imposed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX on some Internet services of the Starlink satellite disrupted the operation of military drones, with frontline troops reporting communication failures during missions, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian officials.
The restrictions, imposed without prior warning to Ukrainian forces, affected satellite Internet terminals used to guide combat drones, particularly during operations in Russian-occupied parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
“Our defense forces were not warned about this restriction, which led to the interruption of several missions,” Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Telegram.
The development comes days after US President Donald Trump threatened Ukraine over its long-running strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, as Washington increased pressure on Kiev to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Starlink curbs affect combat drone operations in Ukraine
Beskrestnov said that SpaceX has limited the operation of its Starlink military service at speeds exceeding 160 km/h.
The restrictions affected the ability of Ukrainian forces to operate drones, which rely on Starlink satellite Internet connections during military operations.
Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the country’s southeast, said the disruption forced troops to cancel some missions.
“According to our observations, connections could drop for 10-20 seconds during flights at speeds as low as 110-120 km/h. The drones were still moving, but these interruptions made them difficult to control,” the corps said in a statement to Reuters.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also said the restrictions had significantly complicated military logistics and some drone operations, according to the news agency.
Why Starlink is essential for the Ukrainian military
Since its deployment over Ukraine in the early days of Russia’s all-out invasion in 2022, Starlink has become a key part of the country’s battlefield communications.
Ukrainian military units use satellite internet service to communicate with each other, coordinate operations and maintain connectivity in areas where conventional communications infrastructure has been damaged or disrupted.
Starlink’s immunity to electronic signal jamming is also important for operating long-range attack drones and larger hexacopters used to deliver supplies to front-line troops.
This technology has played a particularly significant role in Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian military logistics in the occupied southern and eastern territories. These operations targeted supply routes and other infrastructure supporting Russian forces.
But the latest restrictions have raised concerns about the vulnerability of Ukrainian military operations to changes in access to the privately operated satellite communications network.
The restrictions come at a time of increasing US pressure on Kyiv
Reasons for SpaceX’s decision to curtail some Starlink services were not immediately clear. But the move comes as Washington increases pressure on Kiev to halt its long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Starlink does not operate inside Russia, and Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian oil industry use alternative communication methods, Reuters reported.
The reported restrictions also come amid concerns in Kiev about the availability of advance warnings from its allies about Russian missile attacks. Ukraine has said it did not receive the usual advance warning about some of the recent missile attacks on its capital.
With information from Reuters.
