Ukraine Says Surprise Starlink Speed Limit Disrupted Combat Missions as Russia Pounds Cities

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of quietly imposing new restrictions on Starlink satellite internet terminals used by Kyiv's forces, warning that the change has already hampered battlefield operations and is tied to the shifting political climate surrounding the war.

Serhiy Beskrestnov said in a Telegram post on Wednesday that SpaceX had "implemented overnight a speed limit on Starlink terminals," capping connectivity at 100mph (160km/h). He said Ukrainian officials received no advance notice of the measure, which he described as impossible to view as coincidental given the wider diplomatic context.

According to Beskrestnov, the restriction has "already resulted in the disruption of a number of missions." In a follow-up message, he emphasized that Starlink remains the single most effective tool for guiding interceptors tasked with shooting down Russia's newly developed jet-propelled drones, making any degradation of the service particularly dangerous for air defense.

A source inside Ukraine's defense ministry later confirmed to the BBC that restrictions affecting Starlink connectivity at speeds above 160km/h were detected overnight. The source said authorities were still investigating the "root cause" of the problem, suggesting Kyiv has not yet received a formal explanation from SpaceX.

Defense ministry sources provided further detail on how the cap functions in practice. Once a vehicle or asset exceeds the 160km/h threshold, they explained, the terminal simply loses its connection. That makes it harder to conduct drone operations, especially interceptors and mid-range strike drones, and also weakens front-line logistics, reconnaissance, and signal relay capabilities.

SpaceX has not commented on the reported speed restrictions, and the company has issued no public statement explaining the timing or rationale behind the move. The silence has left Ukrainian officials and military analysts to draw their own conclusions about whether the limits stem from technical policy, commercial considerations, or political pressure.

The episode echoes a previous controversy involving Musk's satellite network. In February, Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink blunted Moscow's advance in Ukraine and sowed confusion among Russian commanders. That move was widely seen in Kyiv as a rare but decisive intervention, making the new restrictions all the more puzzling to Ukrainian officials.

Starlink has become indispensable to Ukraine's military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The system provides internet access to troops spread across a vast front line, enables real-time targeting of Russian positions, and supports the coordination of drone warfare that has come to define much of the fighting. Moscow currently controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.

The restrictions landed as Ukraine endured a second consecutive night of deadly Russian missile and drone strikes. Zelensky said at least 600,000 people across the country were left without electricity after the overnight bombardment, with "critical" energy infrastructure hit in Kyiv, the surrounding region, and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv.

Images from the capital showed residents, some still in their pajamas, with bloodied faces in the aftermath of the attacks. Local officials reported three deaths in Kyiv. Russia's defense ministry said its "massive" strikes had targeted communications and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian military, framing the assault as a legitimate military operation.

The strikes appeared to contradict a claim made by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, when he wrote on Truth Social that an "energy ceasefire" was in effect between Russia and Ukraine. Trump insisted both parties had agreed to the arrangement and warned: "Do not break it!"

Later on Wednesday, at least six more people were killed in a Russian drone strike on a warehouse in Lutsk, a city in Ukraine's north-west, according to local officials. The attack underscored the vulnerability of areas far from the front line and highlighted the difficulty of enforcing any pause in hostilities.

Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine is prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Moscow reciprocates. But Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed the idea, arguing Ukraine does not deserve the "respite" a ceasefire would bring. Under any truce, Lavrov added, Europe would be able to "pump [Ukraine] with new weapons," allowing it to continue fighting.

Adding to the tension, Zelensky has said the United States threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign up to Trump's proposed energy ceasefire. On Tuesday, Trump denied that Washington was withholding intelligence from Kyiv.

Ukraine depends heavily on US satellite systems to track incoming Russian missiles, issue air raid alerts, and attempt intercepts. Yet over the past two nights, missiles struck targets in the capital without warning, arriving before sirens could sound. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones overnight, of which four missiles and 115 drones were shot down.

The strikes came as Zelensky prepared to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss accelerating air defense supplies to Kyiv. The Russian defense ministry, meanwhile, said 902 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight across multiple Russian regions, including Moscow and Crimea, the southern peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.

For ordinary Ukrainians, the past two nights have been terrifying. Tetiana Storozhyk, 54, told the BBC that a late-night blast on Tuesday struck her apartment block, and that she lost everything "in a fraction of a second." Her account reflects the human toll behind the military and political maneuvering that continues to shape the war.