On November 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced significant disruptions in the operation of the Starshield satellite system—the military version of the Starlink service—over the country's territory. According to him, the issues have been recorded for several days along the entire frontline and in temporarily occupied territory. The head of state wrote about this in his Telegram channel, as cited by RBC-Ukraine.
What the President Stated
According to Zelenskyy, on November 12 he listened to reports from Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara and AFU Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. "Unfortunately, our units have been recording significant disruptions in Starshield operations over Ukrainian territory for several days now: along the entire frontline and in the temporarily occupied territory. In particular, systemic speed limitations of Starshield are in effect at the level of 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour)," the president said. He emphasized that the Defense Forces have already checked the circumstances of the incident and established that this is not a matter of random errors, but a systemic speed restriction.
How This Affects Defense
The president explained that the disruptions primarily complicate the interception of Russian jet-powered drones. "Unfortunately, there have already been hits because the weapon systems do not develop sufficient speed and fail to intercept targets in time. Unfortunately, this helps Russians kill more Ukrainians and inflict more precision strikes on Ukraine," Zelenskyy stated. According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the introduced restrictions have also complicated the use of mid-strikes—interceptors drones used by the Ukrainian military to destroy Russian Shaheds.
Chronology of Restrictions
Problems with military-grade Starlink terminals had been recorded earlier as well. On October 14, the military version of satellite communications stopped working correctly when moving at speeds exceeding approximately 160 km/h: upon exceeding the limit, the terminals lost connection, which negatively affected the operation of interceptor drones. On the same day, Zelenskyy appealed to Elon Musk urging him to resolve the issue, warning of the risk of new casualties. On the evening of October 14, the Ministry of Defense reported an improvement in communication quality at speeds up to 160 km/h, while the restriction at the 161 km/h level remained in effect. Later, on October 24, RBC-Ukraine sources in the Ministry of Defense reported the restoration of military Starlink operations at speeds exceeding 161 km/h. Thus, as of November 12, the restrictions came into force again.
Source of the Order — The White House
According to Reuters, citing two U.S. officials and one Western country representative, the order to restrict Starshield operations for the Ukrainian military came from the White House. The leadership of the U.S. Department of Defense, which is the largest customer of Starshield, received a message about the need to limit the service's operation. The agency's interlocutors, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not specify who exactly in the administration made this decision and who was responsible for its execution. A high-ranking U.S. official, commenting on the order, noted that frontline communication problems arose after President Donald Trump increased pressure on Ukraine, demanding an end to strikes on Russian oil refineries, which, according to him, affect petroleum product prices and the Republican Party's prospects in the November midterm elections.
Reaction and Next Steps
Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy, is already doing everything possible to clarify the circumstances of what happened through contacts with Washington. A reminder of the system's importance was also voiced by the American side: on October 24, Elon Musk stated that without Starlink, the Ukrainian front "would immediately collapse." Subsequently, it became known that Democrats are preparing an investigation against Musk due to the slowdown of Starshield in Ukraine. Thus, the November 12 incident became a new stage in a series of restrictions that, according to Kyiv's assessment, directly affect the ability of the Defense Forces to intercept aerial targets.
