Ukrainian forces report restrictions on military version of Starlink
Ukrainian forces have reported that they encountered restrictions on Starshield, the military version of the US satellite communications system Starlink, on the night of 13-14 October. The service offers higher speeds and is critical to drone operations.
Source: Serhii Sternenko, a Ukrainian volunteer and founder of the Sternenko Community Charitable Foundation (a charity that supplies FPV drones to the Ukrainian military), on X (Twitter); four Ukrainska Pravda sources on the front line
Quote from Sternenko: "Last night, the operation of Starlink terminals in Ukraine was restricted. Connectivity began to drop when moving at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. As a result, a number of critical missions were disrupted. SpaceX likely took these measures at the request of the Trump administration."
Quote from Source 1: "Our Unmanned Systems Battalion commander reported at the morning briefing that the speed of Starshield has been restricted by partners."
Quote from Source 2: "Yes, this specifically applies to Starshield, the high-speed Starlink. It has been restricted to 100 mph, which is approximately 160 km/h. Our guys say this happened during the night."
Details: A commander sent UP a video clearly showing two Ukrainian drones flying above cloud cover losing connection and failing to continue their mission.
Sources in the defence forces explained to UP that standard Starlink (Starlink Mini), which is installed on drones, has a speed limit of up to 160 km/h. This is insufficient for executing certain missions. For an aircraft to fly faster, access to the military version of Starlink – Starshield – is required.
According to publicly available data, Ukraine began using Starshield in 2024.
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