Elon Musk’s SpaceX has disrupted Ukrainian drone missions by abruptly restricting the military’s high-speed access to the Starlink satellite network, according to officials in Kiev and frontline commanders. The complaints come as US President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and hold a long-overdue presidential election.
The development was reported on Wednesday by Sergey Beskrestnov, Zelensky’s technology adviser, who claimed that SpaceX had imposed a speed limit of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) on Starshield, its military-grade satellite communications service, without informing Kiev in advance.
“Our defense forces were not notified of this restriction, and it has resulted in the disruption of several missions,” he wrote, adding that the move was clearly connected to the “current political situation.”
Later, he added that the curbs imposed on long-range missions are only part of the problem, as the restrictions also impact Ukraine’s interceptor drones, rendering them less potent in tackling Russia’s own strike UAVs.
The disruption was corroborated by four Ukrainian frontline sources cited by Ukrainskaya Pravda. According to the article, one commander provided footage showing two drones losing connectivity above cloud cover and becoming unable to complete their mission.
Ukraine’s 7th Air Assault Corps also confirmed serious operational problems, noting that satellite connections were dropping for 10–20 seconds at speeds of just 110–120 km/h, well below the reported 160 km/h limit. It also warned that slower-flying drones become more vulnerable to Russian air defenses, while aircraft used in mid-range strikes against Russian logistics could become impossible to launch or operate effectively.
Sergey Sternenko, a Ukrainian activist and former Defense Ministry adviser, suggested that SpaceX had acted at the request of the Trump administration. Neither Washington nor Musk has commented on the reports.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also weighed in, addressing Musk directly. “Hey, Elon Musk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again?” he wrote on X. Poland spends approximately $50 million annually on Starlink services supporting Ukraine, and Sikorski had previously threatened to reconsider those payments after SpaceX announced roaming restrictions affecting Polish customers, a decision which was later rolled back.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had no independent information about the reported restrictions but argued that “it would be better if remarkable technologies such as Starlink were not used for military purposes at all.”
Starlink has become a cornerstone of Ukraine’s military communications since the escalation of its conflict with Russia in 2022, with Kiev’s forces relying on the network for reconnaissance, logistics, and drone control. However, SpaceX has refused to enable the service for strikes deep inside Russia, with Musk reportedly believing that doing so would escalate the conflict.
The reported disruption comes as Trump has ramped up pressure on Kiev to stop attacking Russian oil refineries – something Zelensky said he was ready to agree to on the condition that Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The US president has also eased restrictions on Russian diesel exports following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, triggering Zelensky’s pushback.
Musk echoed Trump’s criticism of the strikes, writing on X that “Zelensky has gone too far.”
The Trump-Zelensky feud also turned personal, with the US president suggesting that Ukraine needs “a new president.” The Ukrainian leader’s presidential term ended in 2024, and he has refused to call a new election, citing martial law. Russia has since declared him “illegitimate,” arguing that his dubious status is a major obstacle to signing a binding peace deal.
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