Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that restrictions on the speed of the Starshield satellite system, set at 161 km/h, have been in effect for five days in the temporarily occupied territories of the country, and accused SpaceX of introducing them. According to the head of state, no such restrictions have been recorded in territory controlled by Kyiv, which, in his view, makes the situation not only a military but also a political problem. The statement was made during communication with journalists and was reported by RBC-Ukraine.
What Exactly is Restricted and Where
According to the data voiced by Zelenskyy, the Starshield speed limit of 161 km/h applies exclusively to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. No such restrictions were found in territories controlled by Kyiv. The Ukrainian side conducts daily checks in various directions, and over five days the picture has not changed. On November 12, the president publicly reported for the first time on the recording of satellite communication speed restrictions along the front line and in the occupied territories. On November 13, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed that checks by the agency and the Armed Forces recorded restrictions in all temporarily occupied territories, while they were absent in controlled sectors. On the same day, it became known that all military missions dependent on Starshield had failed due to the restrictions.
The Political Dimension: 'You Partially Do Not Recognize Our Territories'
Zelenskyy emphasized that maintaining restrictions precisely in the occupied territories while they are absent in controlled ones may create the impression that these lands are not considered part of Ukraine. 'If you restrict there, then you are already partially not recognizing the temporarily occupied territories as ours,' the president stated. He added that Kyiv will seek the lifting of the restrictions and has instructed the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Drapaty to raise the issue in their respective domains. Earlier, according to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had already contacted SpaceX, but the company replied that it had not introduced any restrictions and suggested the problem might be technical in nature. The Ukrainian side disagrees with this explanation, citing multi-day and multi-directional recording of restrictions.
Military Consequences: Interception of Shaheds Complicated
The president explained that Starshield restrictions directly affect the ability of Ukrainian forces to intercept Russian jet drones 'Shahed'. These drones approach from the east, and to destroy them before they penetrate areas controlled by Ukraine, interception systems must be deployed directly near the front line. In particular, Starshield is used for the operation of Ukrainian 'Bars' missiles designed to intercept jet drones. Due to the speed restriction near the front, the effectiveness of 'Bars' drops sharply: 'Now we cannot shoot them down there, near the front. We have to shoot them down at other lines, and this gives the Russians opportunities to attack,' Zelenskyy summarized.
Who Made the Decision: SpaceX or Washington
Zelenskyy recalled his previous conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after which, according to him, Ukraine had no problems with early warnings of ballistic strikes, intelligence sharing, and the operation of Starlink and Starshield. During that conversation, Rubio explained that Starshield is under greater control of the US authorities than the SpaceX company itself. However, according to the Ukrainian team's information, the current nature of the restrictions indicates that the company itself made the decision. 'Starshield's restrictions now suggest that SpaceX did this. That's what our team tells me. So this doesn't quite match what we heard before. Therefore, everything needs to be figured out,' the president noted. In a public statement reported by TSN, Zelenskyy added: 'Therefore, I don't know for sure who told SpaceX to do this. Maybe it was their own internal decision. If it's SpaceX, maybe Elon. But if it's someone from the government, I don't know. I don't have such information. I only know that technically SpaceX turns these systems on and off.' Thus, the president essentially refuted Musk's previous statements that any Starshield restrictions are determined by the US military and ultimately the US president.
Washington's Reaction and Context of Previous Restrictions
On November 13, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that it had turned to SpaceX and the Pentagon for explanations. Simultaneously, as reported by ukraina.ru, Democrats in the US Senate demanded that Elon Musk and SpaceX preserve all documents concerning restrictions on the operation of Starlink and Starshield satellite internet in Ukraine that could have hindered the military operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is worth noting that a similar situation had arisen earlier: at the end of October 2026, Starlink and Starshield were also subject to restrictions, after which, according to Zelenskyy, on the night of October 24, communication speeds were restored to levels necessary for military needs. Back then, the president thanked partners, a senator, media, the US State Department, and the president for resolving the issue. The current episode, according to the Ukrainian side, is distinguished by a longer duration and a clear tie of restrictions to the geographical division into occupied and controlled territories.
