Ukraine update: Ukraine says it has lost critical battlefield connectivity after a sudden speed restriction on Starlink terminals used by its military, which Ukrainian officials said disrupted some military drone missions. The extent of the wider operational impact remains unclear.
Ukrainian officials this week accused SpaceX of throttling Starlink and Starshield satellite services, saying the move disrupted military operations and left the country exposed to deadly strikes. A Ukrainian defense adviser, Serhii Beskrestnov, described the problem as a speed limit placed on terminals, which he said cut Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian explosive drones.
Zelenskyy: ‘I Feel Betrayed’
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he feels betrayed and accused the Trump administration of siding with Russia, as Washington reportedly eases some Russia-related sanctions. Ukraine suspects the throttling may have been meant to pressure Kyiv into halting its attacks on Russian oil refineries, a demand made by the Trump administration. Zelenskyy has said those restrictions on refinery strikes are now over and that Ukraine would stop such attacks only if it receives more U.S. support.
Zelenskyy also said five Russian missiles hit civilian infrastructure in Kyiv on October 13, and that Ukraine received no advance warning from its allies. Another Ukrainian official told AFP that Washington was throttling Starlink and helping Russia.
Musk Points to the US Military
Elon Musk responded by saying that the US military controls the limits placed on Starlink. A senior U.S. official noted that standard Starlink is a commercial service controlled by SpaceX and cannot be used for offensive military operations. Neither the White House nor SpaceX has confirmed that the restriction was a deliberate policy decision, and the cause remains unexplained.
Republican Senators Demand Answers
The episode is adding to tension between President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans, who are scrambling to learn whether the administration played any role in reducing Ukraine’s defensive capabilities. Sen. Thom Tillis, a prominent Republican supporter of Ukraine, publicly asked Musk to confirm that the overnight disruptions were unintended and that SpaceX was working to fix what he called a temporary glitch. Several other GOP senators who back Ukraine stayed silent on Wednesday.
Some Republican senators have separately condemned a Trump deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel into the United States, calling it a betrayal of US allies. The Pentagon is also required to notify Congress if it pauses or downgrades intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Poland Reacts
The reported throttling angered Poland, which pays for Ukrainian Starlink subscriptions on Kyiv’s behalf. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has clashed with Musk over Starlink before. In 2025, Musk said Ukraine’s front line could collapse without Starlink, then later pledged that Starlink would never turn off its terminals regardless of his views on Ukraine policy.
Why It Matters
Starlink has been central to Ukraine’s defense since terminals arrived just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It links front-line units, supports drone operations and carries targeting data, and experts have long warned that Ukraine has no ready substitute. Kyiv is working to reduce its dependence. Its UASAT constellation project, aimed at 120 satellites by 2027, launched its first satellite on October 1, and European governments have explored alternative providers.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Sources: Al Jazeera, The Hill, Seoul Economic Daily, AFP.
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