Ukraine’s Starshield connection returns after disruption to military missions

Ukraine’s military Starshield satellite connection has been restored after a disruption affected battlefield missions, a Ukrainian Ministry of Defence source told Al Jazeera. Separately, a Starlink speed restriction left drones traveling faster than 100 mph (160 km/h) without an internet connection, the BBC reported.

The ministry source said Ukraine’s Starshield connection was restored after a disruption between Tuesday and Wednesday. Reuters, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that Kyiv was seeking clarification from Starshield’s parent company, SpaceX, about why the service was disrupted. The BBC reported that connectivity had returned by Wednesday evening. It remains unclear who imposed the restrictions or why.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, a defence adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukrainian forces had received no advance warning of a speed limit on Starlink terminals. “Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions, and this led to the failure of a number of missions,” he wrote on Telegram, according to Al Jazeera. Officials said the restrictions also reduced capabilities for front-line logistics, reconnaissance and signal relays. Beskrestnov said the timing was “related to the current political situation”.

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet network. Starshield is a military-grade service designed for the US government that relies on the Starlink network but has enhanced security. Ukraine uses both, the BBC reported. The BBC identified the 100 mph restriction as affecting Starlink; it did not identify the terminals that lost connection above that speed as Starshield terminals.

Satellite connections allow Ukrainian drone operators to receive reconnaissance footage and stay in contact over longer distances than conventional radio networks, with less vulnerability to jamming. George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War called the network “the backbone of military communications in Ukraine,” the BBC reported.

The Starlink speed restriction also hampered efforts to defend against incoming attacks, according to the BBC. Russian jet-powered Shahed drones can exceed 198 mph (319 km/h), it reported. “Starlink gives Ukraine the ability to see what’s coming, to protect people,” Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to NATO, told the BBC.

The disruption coincided with heavy Russian strikes. Al Jazeera reported that Russia launched more than 100 drones and five ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy said attacks on energy infrastructure left 600,000 people without power. “Regarding this strike, unfortunately, there was no warning from partners,” he wrote on X, referring to intelligence about ballistic missile launches.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk denied that the company controlled Starshield limits. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government,” he wrote on X. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” He said commercial Starlink service was limited to civilian or defensive activities. The BBC said it had contacted the White House and Pentagon for comment.

Zelenskyy initially said he hoped the restriction was a mistake, the BBC reported. He later rejected that explanation in an interview with the Financial Times: “It was not a technical problem; it was the will.” He also said US military officials had warned that Washington would block intelligence unless Ukraine stopped attacking Russian energy facilities. Trump has denied threatening to withhold intelligence, according to the BBC.

The dispute comes amid US pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Trump announced an energy ceasefire on Sunday. Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine said it had refrained from attacking Russian refineries and would continue to do so if Russia did the same. Ukraine subsequently resumed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, Zelenskyy confirmed in the Financial Times interview. The Kremlin said it had never agreed to a ceasefire.