Both Ars Technica and Tom's Hardware report that SpaceX restricted Starlink service for Ukraine's military drone operations, with speed limits above 160 km/h causing signal failures. Ukrainian officials say the limitation came without warning and disrupted several missions, including long-range drone strikes and interceptor development.
Ukrainian units on the southeastern front, including the 7th Rapid Response Corps, observed connection drops of 10–20 seconds at speeds of just 110–120 km/h. The interruptions made drones harder to control and more vulnerable to air defenses, leading to cancelled missions. Officials believe the move is intentional, coinciding with US pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and Elon Musk's recent criticism of President Zelensky.
The two sources differ in scope: Ars Technica also covers Ukraine's lack of advance warning about Russian missile attacks on energy infrastructure, while Tom's Hardware highlights Ukrainian efforts to develop an independent satellite communications system, UASAT-NANO, to reduce reliance on SpaceX. Both agree that the throttling has heightened concerns about the reliability of US-backed technology in the conflict.