Restrictions on Starlink usage speeds in Ukraine are deliberate. Ukrainian interceptor drones targeting jet-powered UAVs cannot currently operate because of a cap of no more than 161 kilometres per hour.
At higher speeds, Starlink cuts out for a second minute, and the interceptor drone is lost. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in audio comments to journalists on 17 October.
“So the speed isn’t enough. And we’re losing drones,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine tried to determine whether the cause was technical problems at SpaceX or a deliberate restriction. To do so, it sent several vehicles with Starlink to EU countries.
“And they drove at speeds—where it was possible—of 180 kilometres plus. And Starlink works. We have the relevant records, we have the relevant evidence. The conclusion is as follows: the restrictions are in place, restrictions on the territory of Ukraine. And the restrictions do not apply on the territory of EU countries. So this is a planned operation,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that Kyiv had contacted Starlink, and that talks had also been held at the level of the military and diplomats. No one at the Ministry of Defence responded, while at other levels they claim it is a technical issue.
“But, as I’ve already said, these technical problems are in Ukraine. On the territory of the European Union, these problems do not exist. We checked it. For us, Starlink works up to a speed of 161 kilometres per hour, then it switches off. In the EU it works at 180+, and it works continuously,” he said.
Starlink Operating Restrictions
The military reported on the morning of 14 October that it stops working at speeds of 160 km per hour. This disrupted some planned missions and created difficulties in repelling Russian drone attacks. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the decision on restrictions is made by the US government.
“Starshield systems belong to the US government and are controlled by it. Any speed or usage restrictions are determined by the US military and, ultimately, the US President. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. The use of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activity and cannot be used for offensive military actions, as that would be unacceptable for a commercial company,” he said.
The speed dropped to 70 km/h, after which it rose to 161 kilometres per hour. Ukraine stressed that it had not used Starlink for strikes on Russia: only for shooting down drones and for mid-strike attacks on occupied territory.