Sergiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has alleged that the US-based company SpaceX has imposed speed limits on the "military package" used by the Ukrainian army for its Starlink service.
In a statement on his social media account, Beskrestnov stated that defense forces were not informed about the restriction in advance, noting that the implementation has caused disruptions in some missions. According to the advisor, the military-grade version of Starlink stopped working at speeds above 160 km/h.
The 7th Rapid Response Corps, deployed in southeastern Ukraine, also announced that some units had to cancel their missions. The Corps reported that even at speeds of 110-120 km/h during flights, the connection could be interrupted for 10 to 20 seconds; they noted that while the drones continued to move, these interruptions made control difficult.
A source from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that these restrictions have significantly hindered logistics activities and some unmanned aerial vehicle operations.
SpaceX has not yet made a statement regarding the allegations. It is also unclear why the restriction was applied to the Starlink service. The development comes at a time when it is reported that the US is pressuring Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries.
However, it is noted that Starlink does not work inside Russia, and that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles targeting the Russian oil industry use other communication methods.
Satellite internet terminals owned by Elon Musk's company have become one of the most important elements of the communication infrastructure in the Ukrainian field since the first days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian units utilize Starlink connectivity for communication and operational coordination on the front lines.
It is stated that Starlink is also used as a critical system for long-range attack drones and large unmanned aerial vehicles that drop supplies to the front line due to its resistance to electronic signal jamming.
News Source: 12punto
