As LB.ua has learned, during the restriction on Starshield terminals on the night of 14 October, devices in different units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces lost connection while moving at different speeds — roughly from 72 to 161 km/h.
On the night of 14 October, SpaceX unilaterally restricted the operation of Starshield terminals — the military service package of Starlink satellite communications — while in motion. The set speed threshold was 160 km/h: once exceeded, the terminal lost connection. At the same time, on different platforms and in different Defence Forces units, disruptions occurred at lower speeds.
The Ministry of Defence said this complicates missions involving unmanned systems, including interceptor drones and medium-range strike systems (mid-strikes). The restriction also affects frontline logistics, reconnaissance and communications relay capabilities.
The defence ministry is currently gathering information from all units, determining the scale of the problem and checking backup communications channels. Contacts with the United States, SpaceX and NATO partners are continuing in parallel.
Earlier, the issue was reported by the President’s technology adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov.
“I confirm that tonight SpaceX introduced a speed limit for Starlink terminals while in motion. At present, the restriction applies to the ‘military package’ of StarShield services and is set at 100 miles per hour,” he wrote on Telegram.
Beskrestnov also noted that the Defence Forces had received no warning of such a restriction, and that it led to the disruption of a number of missions.
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For two days, Ukraine did not receive early warning from partners about the enemy launching ballistic missiles, the President confirmed yesterday.
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At present, Ukraine has access to Starlink only on its own territory. The system is also used in Crimea and other regions occupied by Russia. At the same time, SpaceX, which is owned by Elon Musk, has restricted Starlink’s operation inside Russia.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a meeting with Trump at the White House in July, asked him to speak with Elon Musk about the possibility of using Starlink for Ukrainian long-range drones. Ukraine wants to use such unmanned aircraft to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers, command posts and other military infrastructure up to 200 km from the border.
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Trump did not support Ukraine’s request to allow Starlink to be used for strikes on Russia. The media say that neither Trump nor Musk are ready to approve such a scenario.