Starshield’s speed in Ukraine has been declining for three days in row, - Axios
The Ukrainian government has asked the Pentagon and SpaceX to explain the new restrictions that are disrupting the operation of the satellite system.
Axios reports this, according to Censor.NET.
Details
In response to a request from journalists, SpaceX stated: "This is false. There has been no change."
According to a Ukrainian official, the restrictions have been in place for three days.
"On the first day there were 10% limitations, on the second day 50%, and today 100% of the missions fail because of restrictions," he said.
Denys Senik, Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires in the United States, explained the technical mechanism behind the malfunctions: the Starshield satellite communication system automatically shuts down when the drone’s speed exceeds 100 miles per hour (about 161 km/h).
"We don't have clarification from SpaceX or Pentagon at the moment," he added.
Background
- As previously reported, on November 12, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian Defence Forces units were recording significant disruptions to Starshield operations over Ukrainian territory, along the entire front line and over temporarily occupied territory. The restrictions take effect at speeds of 161 kilometres per hour or above.
- He said that "someone in America" was making decisions about Ukrainian territory as though it were not Ukrainian.
- The European Commission called on US company SpaceX to restore Starshield satellite communications in Ukraine as soon as possible.
- The first instance of Starshield restrictions occurred in mid-October 2026. This hampered the use of interceptor drones against Russian UAVs, as well as reconnaissance and strike operations.
