The Armed Forces of Ukraine explained how restrictions on Starlink's operation are already affecting the performance of combat missions
Kyiv • UNN
SpaceX has restricted the speed of Starshield terminals, causing drones to lose connection in flight. The Ministry of Defense has appealed to the United States, SpaceX, and NATO.
On the night of October 14, SpaceX imposed restrictions without warning on the Starshield military satellite communications system, causing Ukrainian drones to begin losing connectivity during flights. Some Ukrainian Armed Forces units have already had to cancel some combat missions. Defense Express reports this, citing sources in the military and Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, UNN writes.
Details
According to the publication, SpaceX set a speed limit for Starshield terminals at 160 km/h. After this threshold is exceeded, the terminal loses connectivity. At the same time, the military is recording disruptions even at significantly lower speeds—approximately 72 to 161 km/h.
In particular, when drones fly at speeds of 110–120 km/h, the connection may disappear for 10–20 seconds. Although the drones continue moving, such interruptions significantly complicate controlling them.
The restrictions threaten attack drones and interceptors
The greatest problems arise with high-speed drones, in particular Middle Strike-type drones, which need to reach high speed immediately after launch. Due to the unstable connection, some aircraft may lose the ability to carry out their missions.
The restrictions have also affected interceptor drones. At the same time, the forced reduction in flight speed makes Ukrainian UAVs more vulnerable to Russian countermeasures.
According to a Defense Express source, on October 14 alone, one of the unmanned systems units was forced to cancel some missions because of problems with Starlink.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense confirmed to journalists that the restrictions had been introduced and said it was already in contact with the United States, SpaceX, and NATO partners. The American company has so far provided no official explanations for the reasons behind the changes.