Zelensky: Starlink limits in Ukraine are 'planned operation'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that restrictions on Starlink in Ukraine are "a planned operation," citing a government test showing the service worked at over 180 km/h in EU countries. Zelensky said the satellite service, run by Elon Musk's SpaceX, remains capped at 160 km/h in Ukraine, which prevents some Ukrainian drones from catching Russia's fast Shahed drones. He said Kyiv has tried contacting the military, the Defense Ministry, diplomats, and SpaceX without response, and a Ukrainian officer warned the limits "will cost many of us our lives." The episode has renewed doubts about Ukraine's reliance on a U.S.-owned network amid tensions with Washington. EU talks on Govsatcom access have stalled, and the bloc's IRIS² rival is not due until 2030. Zelensky also warned of a Russian plot to cause a winter blackout, following an attack that left around one million people without power.