Zelensky: Starlink and Starshield Cut Out at 130-161 km/h on the Front
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday, Oct. 19, that Starlink and Starshield equipment stops working at speeds of 130 to 161 kilometers per hour on various sections of the front, slowing frontline logistics and limiting the use of Ukrainian drones.
Zelensky had heard a separate report from the commander-in-chief on information from units about how the two services are being used. "Unfortunately, we are recording that on different sections of the front the equipment stops functioning at a speed of 130–161 kilometers per hour," he said. He added that this hinders logistics and restricts drones of various types, above all mid-strike drones and interceptors of jet-powered Shaheds.
The restrictions, he said, must be discussed again with partners at all levels. "Speed matters for protecting lives," he stressed.
Dispute over who ordered the limit
On Oct. 16, President Donald Trump said the White House had no part in limiting Ukraine's use of the system. The Telegraph reported, however, that SpaceX head Elon Musk had proposed to Trump that bandwidth of the Starlink and Starshield networks used by Ukrainian forces be limited.
On Oct. 17, Zelensky said Ukrainian troops had tested Starlink in cars on EU territory and found no such limits, which in his view points to a planned operation against Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration has "nothing to do" with the restriction of Starlink in Ukraine. On Oct. 18, in an NBC interview, Zelensky said the signal to limit Starlink and Starshield for Ukraine came from the US government.
Congressional pushback
Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick warned on Monday that anyone involved in restricting Ukraine's use of Starshield will be held fully accountable. He announced talks with Zelensky and his team this week on Starshield, sanctions and other defense issues.
"I will assure President Zelensky that anyone who tries to restrict the use of the Starshield program for the benefit of Ukraine will face a full investigation and will be held fully accountable, including public congressional oversight hearings and immediate, severe, punitive budget cuts for any responsible agency or its head,"
Fitzpatrick wrote on X. He also pointed to his "Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act," a bipartisan bill meant to stop Trump from unilaterally lifting sanctions on Russian oil, and said he is confident the House will pass it.
Separately, Republican Senator Thom Tillis is launching an inquiry into the Pentagon over the problems with satellite communications that Ukrainian troops have faced. More in Technology and Politics.