Zelensky: Starshield speed restrictions remain along the entire front line

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, 13 November, that speed restrictions in the operation of the Starshield satellite system remain in place along the entire front line and on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. According to him, the defense minister and the commander-in-chief confirmed that the restrictions are hindering the interception of Russian Shahed jet-powered drones.

Zelensky said in his evening address that "these speed restrictions remain along the entire front line" and on the occupied territories. He stressed that temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory is Ukrainian sovereign territory, and noted that "the speed restrictions there are a very bad signal."

He warned that the restrictions prevent Ukrainian interceptor drones from operating at the speeds needed to counter Russian attacks, and could signal to Moscow that Washington treats the occupied territory differently from the rest of the country. Zelensky instructed the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with the relevant American agencies to restore unrestricted operation of the system.

Pressure is also growing in Washington. The bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus of the House of Representatives, speaking on behalf of 105 congressmen, in a statement published on Thursday, 12 November, demanded that the administration of Donald Trump and the company SpaceX explain how and why the restrictions were introduced, and immediately restore full access to Starshield. The statement said that a full report is required from the Trump administration and SpaceX on the reasons for what happened, along with immediate action to restore full access to Starshield.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon separately condemned the restrictions, saying they are costing Ukrainians their lives and benefit Moscow. "These actions help the war criminal Putin," he wrote, calling for a parliamentary investigation. Earlier, Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis issued a bipartisan demand: they urged the Trump administration and SpaceX to immediately restore Ukraine's capabilities and demanded that the Pentagon and SpaceX preserve records, contracts and correspondence related to the restrictions. The senators said Congress must establish who ordered or approved these disruptions and hold those responsible accountable.

Starshield is the military version of the Starlink satellite communications system, which Ukrainian forces use for intelligence, drone control and air defense. The new restrictions prevent connected equipment from maintaining a connection while moving faster than 161 km/h (100 miles per hour). According to an unnamed Ukrainian official, the share of failed drone missions due to the restrictions rose from 10% to 50%, and then to 100% within three days. Specialists from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense recorded the 161 km/h limit across the entire occupied territory, but not on the lands controlled by Kyiv.

SpaceX denies any changes: "This is not true. There have been no changes," the company stated. The current disruption follows a similar episode in October: the connection was restored then, but neither SpaceX nor the US government publicly took responsibility. The restrictions appeared shortly before US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday. Senior Ukrainian officials said they suspect an attempt to pressure Kyiv during the peace negotiations. The European Commission called the disruptions "deeply alarming" and, if confirmed, "unacceptable"; this was stated by the EU's technology spokesperson, Thomas Regnier.