Grew over 3 days: Axios learned of Starshield's new restrictions on Ukraine
On Thursday, November 12, Ukraine once again began experiencing widespread disruptions in the operation of SpaceX’s Starshield military satellite system. Due to speed limits imposed at the front, 100% of drone combat operations have been completely disrupted.
Previously, similar restrictions were imposed in October. Axios reports on this.
What is the situation with communications?
On Thursday, November 12, an anonymous Ukrainian official told the publication that the restrictions were being implemented gradually. Initially, they affected 10% of operations; on the second day, 50%; and by the third day, all combat sorties were blocked.
Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in the U.S., noted that the Starshield system shuts down when drones exceed a speed of 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). The Ukrainian side has not yet received any official responses regarding the reasons for the blocking, either from SpaceX management or from the Pentagon.
Elon Musk’s company, however, rejects any accusations of interfering with the terminals’ operation.
“That’s not true. There have been no changes,”
SpaceX responded.
Despite these statements, Kyiv continues to clarify the details with its American partners. A bipartisan congressional group on Ukraine has expressed concern over reports of a slowdown in the Starshield system’s operations. Lawmakers are demanding that the U.S. presidential administration and SpaceX provide full reports.
Previous restrictions
The Ukrainian military have already experienced service disruptions of the specialized military system, which lasted from October 14 to 24. At that time, the White House and SpaceX blamed each other for the restrictions.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that, following reports from the command, it became clear that the loss of communication was not due to routine technical malfunctions but rather to artificial speed limits along the entire front. He emphasized that this helps the aggressor kill more Ukrainians.
It should be noted that Oleksandr Musienko, a Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemember and military analyst, explained on Channel 24 that the Starshield restrictions are hampering the work of air defense forces. They significantly hinder interceptor drones from destroying jet-powered UAVs.