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SpaceX attributed Starshield restrictions to technical issue, but did not provide Ukraine with any details, - media
SpaceX has informed the Ukrainian side that the restrictions on the operation of the Starshield satellite system, which is used for military purposes, are due to a technical issue.
According to Censor.NET, citing hromadske, this was reported by Nick Schifrin, a journalist with the American broadcaster PBS, citing Denis Senik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in the US.
Kyiv has still not received any further explanation as to why Starshield’s speed has been restricted in the occupied territories of Ukraine for several days running.
What led up to it
- As a reminder, on 12 November, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces were detecting significant disruptions to the Starshield system over Ukrainian territory: along the entire front line and in the temporarily occupied territory. The restrictions are triggered at speeds of 161 kilometres per hour or more.
- He stated that "someone in America" is making decisions regarding Ukrainian territory as if it were not Ukrainian.
- The European Commission has called on the American company SpaceX to resume operations of the Starshield satellite communications system in Ukraine as soon as possible.
- The first instance of Starshield’s operations being restricted occurred in mid-October 2026. This hampered the use of interceptor drones to combat Russian drones, as well as reconnaissance and strike operations.
- Widespread restrictions on Starshield are preventing the Defence Forces from shooting down jet-powered drones near the front line, said Chargé d’Affaires Senik.
