SpaceX Reportedly Thwarting Ukrainian Drone Attacks, Officials Say
Kyiv officials say SpaceX has disrupted Ukrainian drone missions as Trump has pressured Zelensky over refinery strikes and elections. Read the full article on RT.com
Elon Musk's SpaceX has disrupted Ukrainian drone missions by suddenly limiting the military's high-speed access to the Starlink satellite network, according to Kiev officials and frontline commanders. The complaints come as US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries and hold a long-delayed presidential election.
The development was reported on Wednesday by Sergey Beskrestnov, Zelensky's technology adviser, who claimed that SpaceX had imposed a 100 mph (160 km/h) speed limit on its military-grade satellite communications service, Starshield, without informing Kiev.
Stating that this action is clearly related to the "current political situation," he wrote: "Our defense forces were not informed of this restriction and it has led to the disruption of several missions.
Later, he added that the restrictions imposed on long-range missions are only part of the problem, as the restrictions also affect Ukraine's interceptor drones, making them less effective against Russian attack drones.
The disruption was confirmed by four front-line Ukrainian sources quoted by Ukrainskaya Pravda. According to the article, one of the commanders provided footage showing two drones losing connection above cloud cover and unable to complete their mission.
Zelensky claims that the West gave no warning about the recent Russian attack
Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps also confirmed serious operational problems, noting that satellite links dropped for 10 to 20 seconds at 110 to 120 km/h, well below the reported limit of 160 km/h. It also warned that slow-moving drones would be more vulnerable to Russian air defenses, while aircraft used in medium-range attacks against Russian logistics might become impossible to launch or operate effectively.
Sergei Strenenko, a Ukrainian activist and former adviser to the Defense Department, suggested that SpaceX had complied with the Trump administration's request. Neither Washington nor Musk have commented on the reports.
Trump adviser - Zelensky is not a "good ally".
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also spoke directly with Musk. "Hey, Elon Musk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again?" He wrote in X. Poland pays roughly $50 million a year for Starlink services in support of Ukraine, and Sikorsky previously threatened to reconsider payments after SpaceX announced roaming restrictions on Polish customers, a decision it later reversed.
'We may reconsider paying you': Poland threatens Musk over Starlink
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had no independent information on the reported restrictions, but argued that "it is better that significant technologies like Starlink are not used for military purposes at all."
Starlink has become a cornerstone of Ukraine's military communications since the escalation of conflict with Russia in 2022, with Kiev's forces relying on the network to detect, procure and control drones. SpaceX, however, has refused to activate the service for strikes deep into Russia, with Musk reportedly believing that doing so would escalate the conflict.
The reported disruption comes as Trump has increased pressure on Kiev to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries — something Zelensky said he was willing to agree to, provided Moscow stopped targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The US president has also eased restrictions on Russian diesel exports after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompting Zelensky to back down.
Musk echoed Trump's criticism of the attacks, writing on X that "Zelensky went too far."
The Trump-Zelensky spat also got personal, with the US president suggesting that Ukraine needed a "new president". The presidential term of the leader of Ukraine ended in 2024 and he has refused to hold new elections citing the military rule. Russia has since declared him "illegal", arguing that his questionable status is a major obstacle to signing a binding peace agreement.