President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of lying regarding restrictions imposed on the military-grade Starshield satellite system. The Ukrainian president stated that speed limits affecting drones have been in place for five days, suggesting the decision is political rather than technical.
Zelenskyy reported that the system is being throttled over Russian-occupied territory, preventing drones from flying faster than 161km/h (100mph) without losing connection. While SpaceX has denied these claims, Zelenskyy escalated his criticism on Saturday, warning that these limitations have dangerous political implications.
The restrictions are directly impacting Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones and undermining critical air defenses. Zelenskyy warned that these limitations could weaken the protection of energy infrastructure ahead of winter months when Moscow has repeatedly targeted the power grid.
This issue was raised by Zelenskyy during an address at the European Political Community summit in Dublin. Additionally, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry has raised the matter with SpaceX at the institutional level.