Ukrainian forces fear new Starlink outages after speed restrictions

Ukrainian forces fear repeated restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite terminals, according to Welt correspondent Steffen Schwarzkopf, who said the military worries such outages could recur without warning. He noted that despite lifted restrictions, communication has not been fully restored everywhere. The situation alarms Ukrainian authorities due to their heavy dependence on American technology. Schwarzkopf said Kyiv recognizes the powerful leverage the US holds, as it can directly influence the course of the war. This follows reports of speed-related connection failures and claims that Elon Musk proposed slowing Starlink. Former Ukrainian deputy defense minister Sergey Sternenko reported Wednesday that terminal restrictions caused connection drops at speeds over 160 km/h, later lowered to 60 km/h. The Telegraph reported Musk suggested the slowdown to President Donald Trump, who denied involvement. Politico also reported the US could cut Kyiv off from intelligence and Starlink access.