Connection lost at 130–161 km/h: Zelensky reported problems with Starlink
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Starlink and Starshield equipment stops working at movement speeds of 130–161 kilometers per hour on various sections of the front. According to him, this is slowing down front-line logistics and restricting the use of drones, including devices used to intercept jet-powered Shaheds.
Connection is breaking at speeds of 130–161 km/h: Zelensky spoke about problems with Starlink
Zelensky published this information on Telegram on October 19, citing a report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes.
Here, it refers not to the speed of data transmission over the internet, but to the speed of movement of the vehicle on which the satellite communication equipment is installed. Zelensky said the disruptions are affecting various drones, especially medium-range vehicles and interceptor drones targeting jet-powered unmanned vehicles.
The President of Ukraine mentioned a similar problem on October 17 as well. At that time, he stated that communication restrictions were preventing the repulsion of Russian drone attacks and that Kyiv was discussing this issue with US representatives. According to Zelensky, the American side explained the restrictions by technical reasons.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 17 rejected allegations that Washington intentionally restricted Starlink's operation.
"No one in the White House gave instructions to slow down the internet or reduce data transmission speeds," he said. Rubio said the cause of the technical problems is still unknown, but access to the system has been restored.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the restrictions on Starshield appeared on the night of October 14, complicating the work of drones and logistics. Although the ministry reported on October 15 that the system's field operations had been restored, Zelensky's new statement shows that problems persist at high speeds of movement.
Reports regarding who imposed the restrictions are contradictory. Sources from The Telegraph said the initiative was put forward by Elon Musk and that the Pentagon introduced limits after Donald Trump supported it. Reuters, citing its sources, reported that the instruction came from the White House.
Musk emphasized that such decisions regarding Starshield are made by the US military and ultimately by the president of the country. Trump, on the other hand, stated on October 16 that he did not give such an instruction and did not think Musk did either.
At the same time, Zelensky announced on October 19 that he discussed increasing the supply of interceptors for air defense with representatives of Lockheed Martin in Kyiv. He stated that the company is expanding the production of ballistic target interceptors, and Ukraine plans to purchase some of them.