Germany-funded Starlink for Ukraine's military capped until 2027, Kyiv seeks full speed

Germany funds Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine's military under a contract running until April 2027, yet Kyiv is asking for unrestricted speed access. The system's limits are not decided in Berlin, as SpaceX owner Elon Musk says Starshield belongs to the U.S. government. According to RBC-Ukraine citing journalist Alex Raufoglu, the military Starlink package worked without speed limits until the night of October 14, as the German-financed contract supposedly stipulated. Musk stated American military officials set the limits, with final authority resting with President Donald Trump. Kyiv demands complete removal of restrictions, not just a higher threshold, saying the current 160 km/h cap is insufficient against Russian Shahed drones. On October 14, Starlink terminals began experiencing serious failures, with the military version Starshield losing stable connection during movement. The speed threshold was limited to approximately 160 km/h, causing signal loss when exceeded, and interceptor drones were also affected. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia exploited the situation for one of the largest drone attacks, urging Musk to fix the error that could cost Ukrainian lives.