Presidential adviser says Ukraine is in talks to lift speed limit on military satellite network — SkimNews
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- Ukraine is negotiating with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a 160 kph (100 mph) speed cap imposed without warning on Oct 15, 2026 on its Starshield military satellite service, forcing Ukrainian drones to fly slower and become easier Russian targets.
- Serhii Beskrestnov, defense technology adviser to Zelenskyy, called the restriction "not only a technical issue and business issue, but also a political one" and said Ukraine has no explanation for why it was imposed.
- Elon Musk said the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield with decisions resting with the American military and ultimately Trump; Trump told reporters "it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Mr. Elon."
- The 160 kph cap also disrupts Ukrainian helicopters hunting propeller-driven Shahed drones and slows interceptor drones chasing jet-powered Shaheds flying above 400 kph, though Starshield is not used on Russian territory, Beskrestnov confirmed.
- Amazon's satellite network and OneWeb by Europe's Eutelsat are among alternatives Ukraine is exploring, while Russia already deploys electronic warfare systems along the front line to disrupt Starlink.
- Russia's Rassvet satellite network is "danger No. 1" per Beskrestnov, with full coverage possibly coming in about six months, which would let Russian operators steer Shahed drones and missiles like Banderol and Dan-M in real time, rendering Ukraine's electronic warfare jamming network useless.
Why it matters: The 160 kph cap slows Ukrainian interceptor drones below the 400 kph Russian Shaheds they chase, exposing a new lever Washington holds over Kyiv's front-line defenses. With Russia's Rassvet satellite network possibly reaching full coverage in six months and Russian electronic warfare already jamming Starlink along the front, Ukraine's drone-based air defense faces compounding pressure on multiple fronts.
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