President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused SpaceX of maintaining deliberate speed restrictions on its Starshield satellite communications network on Saturday hampering drone defense operations across the front lines.
Frontline Drone Defenses Throttled
The speed limitations cap terminals at 100 miles per hour, disconnecting devices moving faster and severely degrading interception rates against Russian jet-powered drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the restrictions are political rather than technical and affect both Russian-occupied territories and the entire contact line.
“Unfortunately, our units have been recording significant malfunctions in Starshield’s operation over Ukraine’s territory for several days now: along the entire front line and in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory,” Zelenskyy said in a statement reported by NBC News.
Craig Albert, the graduate director of national defense studies at Augusta University, told CBS News that lowering speeds makes Ukrainian offensive drones easy targets for faster Russian interceptors while letting enemy munitions breach missile defenses.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Ukraine’s president reported that the speed caps had been active for five days, directly impacting mid-range military strikes. Ukrainian forces rely heavily on Starlink for everyday data transfers and communications. While SpaceX officials previously denied making any changes or imposing service limits, Ukrainian military advisers such as Serhii Beskrestnov confirmed that connectivity speed during movement was once again reduced across contested zones.
European officials voiced alarm over the connectivity troubles. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated at a Brussels news conference that Starshield services must be restored urgently so soldiers stay connected and citizens remain protected.
US Envoys Propose Donbas Surrender for NATO Membership
The satellite disruption coincides with diplomatic talks led by U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Zelenskyy revealed that American negotiators asked whether Kyiv would surrender the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership or security guarantees.
“understanding the long-term security between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe is a conversation that we started having with them,” Jared Kushner said
“What if Ukraine joins Nato? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas? This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelensky told reporters on Saturday, as covered by The Independent. He insisted Kyiv was not prepared to surrender its territory without a national referendum tied to a comprehensive security package.
European officials criticized the satellite limitations, arguing that continental security remains vulnerable to individual influence. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that European allies cannot protect their citizens without satellite access.
The Kremlin continued to demand that Ukraine yield the entire Donbas area, alongside calls for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to roll back its infrastructure to the pre-1997 configuration. French President Emmanuel Macron added that countries attempting to limit assistance to Ukraine are effectively trying to enforce an unjust peace that could provoke future conflicts.
Senate Demands Preservation of Records
U.S. lawmakers are moving to investigate the handling of the satellite network. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons sent a formal letter to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk demanding the preservation of all communications and documents relating to the Starlink and Starshield service disruptions.
The congressional letter asks for written confirmation by November 30, 2026, that all preservation measures have been implemented. The Wall Street Journal reported that the inquiry is part of broader oversight planned as Democrats prepare to take control of congressional committees.
European diplomats on Thursday expressed concern that the latest round of US-led talks had only bolstered Russia’s demands regarding a complete redesign of Europe’s security architecture as part of the Ukraine peace deal. w/ @HenryJFoy @maxseddon https://t.co/MKdH7nFXlo
Top Senate Democrats emphasized that Congress needs access to all contracts and correspondence to understand who ordered the speed caps and to establish safeguards preventing future service degradation. While Elon Musk initially suggested that SpaceX acted under its terms of service regarding Starlink, U.S. officials and the White House faced sustained international questions regarding accountability.
Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington, maintained that the bottlenecks remained widespread across the front. Meanwhile, European Commission spokesperson Tom Regnier reiterated that any confirmation of interference with satellite access essential for defense against Russia is completely unacceptable.
Neither Trump nor Musk have given a full explanation as to why Starshield was slowed. And despite numerous requests, Ukraine hasn't received any answers from DoD, State, WH or SpaceX. “We don’t know the cause [because] they keep silent about this,” a senior Ukrainian official…