SpaceX limits Starlink service for Ukraine’s high-speed military drones without prior warning

Ukrainian officials have accused SpaceX of limiting its satellite internet services in the country, disrupting ongoing military and combat drone missions that rely on the technology, according to a Reuters report today, October 14. Presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said SpaceX has implemented a speed limit on its military-grade Starshield satellite terminals in Ukraine, hindering their operations at speeds above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).

In a Telegram post on Wednesday, Beskrestnov said Elon Musk's company provided no prior warning before implementing the restriction. “Our defense forces did not receive a warning about this limitation, and this led to the disruption of several missions,” he wrote. The restriction specifically impacts the Starshield terminals in motion. The terminals, which are physically mounted onto mobile platforms such as drones and other military vehicles to provide high-speed, real-time communications during transit, have been crucial in guiding Ukraine's drone strikes that have decimated Russian logistics across occupied southern and eastern Ukraine.

Following the limitation, …