Ukrainian service personnel have reported new restrictions affecting the Starlink satellite communications system. Volunteer Serhii Sternenko said the connection now begins to drop when a drone reaches a speed of 60–70 kilometres per hour. LB sources in the Defence Forces confirmed the information.
According to the newsroom’s sources at the Ministry of Defence, restrictions on Starlink (Starshield) operation at speeds above 160 km/h were detected overnight, though the speed-related information is being verified. This situation significantly complicates, among other things, logistics, UAV operations, middle strike, and so on.
The 7th Air Assault Corps reported that overnight, units on the Huliaipole axis began recording communications disruptions linked to limits on data transmission speed. During UAV flights, the connection could drop for 10–20 seconds already at speeds of 110–120 km/h. The aircraft continued moving, but such interruptions made controlling them more difficult.
Reducing UAV flight speed creates additional risks: slower targets become more vulnerable to enemy fire.
Earlier, presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov confirmed that overnight on 14 October the restrictions were set at 100 miles per hour (about 160 km/h). The Ukrainian army received no warning.
“At present, the restriction applies to the StarShield ‘military package’ of services and is set at a speed of 100 miles per hour. Our Defence Forces did not receive any warning about such a restriction, and this led to the disruption of a number of missions,” he said.
- Previously, SpaceX restricted the use of Starlink for a number of long-range strikes on targets in Russia and in the occupied territories. A number of operations were disrupted.
- The current restriction comes amid a sharpening of White House rhetoric towards Ukraine. In addition, for two strikes in a row partners did not inform Ukraine about the Russians launching ballistic missiles. Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said partners did not warn about the first wave today, but did warn about the next three. In the first wave, a missile hit a nine-storey building, killing at least two people and injuring more than 20.