Ukraine says Starlink restrictions disrupted drone operations, raising reliance concerns

Ukraine reported Wednesday that Starlink satellite connections were restricted without warning, disrupting military drone operations and communications on the front line, raising new concerns about reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX and U.S. control. Ukrainian presidential adviser Serguiï Beskrestnov said speed-based restrictions were applied to terminals used by Ukrainian forces, affecting interceptor drones and medium-range strike missions. The Defense Ministry noted improvement by Wednesday evening but said SpaceX maintained a 161 km/h limit, with effective restrictions much lower during the day. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned lives would be lost if service remained disrupted. Musk denied personal responsibility, stating Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government, with any limitations decided by the American military and president. The incident follows past disputes, including Musk's 2022 refusal to activate coverage near Crimea and reported cuts around Kherson, though SpaceX also cooperated with Kyiv in February 2026 to block Russian terminals.