Key takeaways:
- Zelenskyy said Starshield restrictions were disrupting Ukrainian interceptors along the front line and in Russian-occupied territory.
- U.S., Russian and Ukrainian representatives agreed on a large prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi but reported no major peace breakthrough.
- Kushner called for European involvement in future talks, while Russia’s chief negotiator questioned what Europe would contribute.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that renewed restrictions on the Starshield satellite service were hampering Ukraine’s efforts to intercept Russian drones, as U.S. envoys arrived in Moscow for peace talks with President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian military units had reported problems for several days along the entire front line and in Russian-occupied territory, Zelenskyy said. Interceptors using Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink network, were losing their satellite connection when flying faster than about 100 mph, according to CBS News. Zelenskyy said the system normally works at speeds above roughly 250 mph.
“These are not random errors but systematic speed restrictions,” Zelenskyy said. “For us, this primarily means a significant complication in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones.” Some strikes had already got through because Ukrainian interception systems could not reach the necessary speeds in time, he added.
A Ukrainian official told CBS News the restrictions began gradually three days earlier and now affected the entire contact line. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was seeking an explanation from the United States. He did not assign blame for the latest disruption, though a Ukrainian source told CBS News they were certain SpaceX had imposed it. SpaceX did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
Ukraine reported a similar problem last month. NBC News reported that Elon Musk initially placed responsibility for those restrictions on President Donald Trump, who denied involvement. The U.S. government said only Musk could have made such a decision. Musk later said SpaceX had closed a loophole in its civilian Starlink service, accusing Ukraine of using it for offensive drone strikes in violation of its terms; Ukraine denied the accusation. People familiar with the matter told CBS News that Musk decided to reduce Starshield service last month after conversations with Trump administration officials.
European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier called for the service to be restored urgently so Ukraine could protect its citizens and territory.
The latest disruption coincided with a meeting in Moscow between Putin and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They arrived after two days of U.S.-brokered talks with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Abu Dhabi ended without a major breakthrough. The sides agreed on a large prisoner exchange and to continue talking.
Kushner said he wanted European countries involved in future negotiations. “The only way to get this done is to have them by our side,” he said after the Abu Dhabi talks. Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, rejected the case for European participation: “We do not really understand what there is to discuss with them, and they haven’t offered a single proposal.” European representatives were in Abu Dhabi but did not take a direct role in the talks. Witkoff and Kushner were also expected to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin.
The fighting continued during the diplomatic meetings. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes overnight killed five civilians and injured 29. CBS News reported that a drone hit a Kyiv apartment building, killing a woman, while a strike on energy infrastructure in the northwestern Rivne region left more people without power. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had shot down 71 Ukrainian drones.
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