Zelenskyy: Starshield restrictions prevent Ukrainian drones from catching up with jet-powered Shaheds

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that speed restrictions on Starshield terminals are preventing Ukrainian interceptor drones from countering Russian jet-powered Shaheds. Ukraine is working with the US and SpaceX to have these restrictions lifted.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)

Quote: "The Russians are targeting substations with Shaheds. And many of these strikes are getting through because restrictions on the operating speed of Starshield terminals along the front line and in the temporarily occupied territories are still there.

Our interceptor drones lose connection with their operators at a speed of 161 km/h (100 mph) and simply cannot catch up with Russian jet-powered Shaheds. We are counting on these restrictions being lifted."

Details: Zelenskyy said he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the President's Office to work closely with the American side and SpaceX to resolve the issue.

The president also reported that Russia had used more than 2,300 attack drones, 1,590 guided aerial bombs and 15 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week.

Zelenskyy said that 16 people had been injured in the Russian attacks.

Background: On the night of 14-15 November and in the morning, Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Kirovohrad oblasts. Railway infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts was also hit.

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