Zelenskyy says Musk’s SpaceX restrictions on Starlink will cost lives in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said on the British political show Piers Morgan Uncensored that American billionaire Elon Musk’s decision to restrict Starlink’s functionality in Ukraine was a mistake that will result in loss of life.
A Starlink terminal at a Ukrainian military position in the Donetsk Region (Oblast), December 2022. Photo: Maksym Marusenko / NurPhotoStarlink is an important navigation tool used by Ukrainians in operations against Russian positions, but also for defence. It was an important factor in Ukrainian interceptors’ ability to shoot down Russian drones, including the new jet drones.
The Ukrainian president said Starlink is slowing down in Ukraine due to a decision by Musk’s company.
“[…] This decision will bring a lot of human losses. These people are dying because of this decision. Of course, if attacks continue and Starlink does not work, it’s not helpful. My message is absolutely: I hope that it’s a mistake, maybe a huge technical problem, I don’t know, but we are asking to switch it on. I think it will be fair, like between partners,” President Zelenskyy reported.
On the night of 14 October, the American company SpaceX introduced restrictions without warning on Starshield, the military version of the Starlink satellite communications used by the Ukrainian Defence Forces, hromadske reported, citing sources in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Elon Musk issued a statement, saying that “Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military actions”.
According to the publication’s sources, SpaceX introduced the restrictions unilaterally, without warning the Ukrainian military.
Starshield terminals can now lose connection when the vehicle or drone they operate on exceeds a certain speed. In different units, the problems arise under different conditions: from approximately 72 to 161 kilometres per hour.
The new restrictions have complicated the use of interceptor drones and drones for medium-range strikes. Connection problems also affect frontline logistics, reconnaissance and signal transmission between units.
The Ministry of Defence told journalists that it is in contact with representatives from the US, SpaceX and NATO partners to determine the reasons for the restrictions and find a solution.
In parallel, the department is gathering information from military units, examining the conditions under which terminals lose connection, and developing backup communication methods.
Ukrainian volunteer Serhii Sternenko was the first to report problems with Starlink’s operation. He said that overnight into 14 October, the connection began dropping out at speeds of over 160 kilometres per hour. As a result, the Ukrainian military was unable to complete some planned tasks.
Later, the Ukrainian president’s adviser on technological issues, Serhii Beskrestnov, known as Flash, confirmed the information. He explained that SpaceX had set a speed limit for the military Starshield package at 100 miles per hour, which is approximately 161 kilometres per hour. The Ukrainian command was not warned about these changes in advance.
At the same time, the actual loss of connection does not always occur exactly at this speed.
Specifically, the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces said that on the Huliaipole axis, drones began losing connection for 10–20 seconds, even at speeds of 110–120 kilometres per hour.
According to the military, such interruptions make drones more vulnerable to Russian attacks, as operators temporarily lose the ability to control them.
Following connection problems, one of the unmanned systems units operating within the 7th Air Assault Corps’ area of responsibility had to cancel some missions.
Servicemen from other units also reported similar difficulties. In particular, one commander sent Ukrainska Pravda a video showing two Ukrainian drones losing connection during flight and being unable to continue their mission.
Beskrestnov suggested the changes could be related to the political situation. Sternenko also suggested that SpaceX might have acted at the request of US President Donald Trump’s administration. However, there is currently no evidence for these explanations.
The company’s decision coincided with an escalation of public disputes over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Previously, Trump accused Ukraine of causing a rise in fuel prices because of such attacks. SpaceX owner Elon Musk supported his criticism, stating that the Ukrainian president had gone too far.
Over the past couple of days, the air raid warnings in Kyiv have also not sounded ahead of Russian attacks. Last night, there were other Russian assaults on the country’s energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian authorities stated that at least 600,000 people were without electricity after a whole series of missile and drone attacks. Four power plants were hit around Ukraine’s capital and two in Kharkiv a few days after Trump announced an “energy cease-fire” that neither side seems to know about.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US and Russia’s agreement on supplying Russian diesel fuel to American and global markets was a tactical victory for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.
“Putin is laughing. For him, it was an easy victory – with the diesel fuel agreement. It is the same with Starlink. It is used to protect civilians, but also by the military. Now Putin is laughing: he has lost so many people on the battlefield, but he has won an easy victory here,” Zelenskyy told Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Axios previously reported that Trump’s envoys threatened to cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine over its strikes on Russian oil refineries during talks with the Ukrainian team in Florida on Friday.
According to a Reuters investigation, in September 2022 Musk ordered a restriction on Starlink’s operation in the Kherson area during the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
According to journalists, SpaceX disconnected at least 100 terminals, which caused the Ukrainian military to lose connection on certain sectors of the front. This complicated the control of drones and the adjustment of artillery fire.
Reuters sources linked Musk’s decision to his fears of a possible Russian nuclear response to the successes of the Ukrainian offensive.
SpaceX stated at the time that the investigation contained inaccuracies, but did not explain which ones.
Furthermore, in September 2023, a large-scale failure in Starlink’s operation occurred during a Ukrainian military operation near occupied Sevastopol. NetBlocks analysts recorded a sharp drop in the quality of satellite connection at the time. However, the reasons for the failure itself remained unclear.
In February 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, together with SpaceX engineers, disconnected illegal Starlink terminals used by the Russian military.
Following this, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Russians began pressuring the families of Ukrainian prisoners, demanding that they register the blocked terminals in their names.
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