Ukrainian drones worth more than $1 million fell from the sky last week after unannounced speed restrictions were placed on Starshield, the military-grade satellite network Ukraine uses to guide its drone operations against Russia. The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk personally ordered the slowdown, disrupting strike missions and air defenses for days and deepening the strain between Washington and Kyiv.
What the Starshield curbs were
Starshield is SpaceX's military version of Starlink, built for governments and national security missions. Unlike the civilian Starlink service, which is capped at 70 kilometers per hour of terminal speed, Starshield normally functions with no artificial speed cap above 160 kilometers per hour. Last week, Ukrainian units reported their terminals began dropping connections at just 90 kilometers per hour.
The restriction arrived without warning. As Ukrainian drone units prepared overnight strikes on October 14, signals to their Starlink terminals suddenly vanished, Reuters reported. Presidential technology adviser Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov said terminals began losing connectivity above 100 miles per hour. Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps reported communication losses of 10 to 20 seconds during some flights, enough for operators to lose control of fast-moving drones at critical moments.
How Ukraine's drone operations were hit
The consequences were immediate and expensive. A senior Ukrainian commander identified only as Oleh told The New York Times that dozens of armed drones were heading toward Russian military targets when their video feeds suddenly went fuzzy. Many crashed, costing his units more than $1 million in weaponry. The disruption forced a near-total halt of operations for three days, including strikes on Russian command posts and fuel hubs.
The curbs hit both attack and air-defense missions. Starshield underpins Ukraine's medium-range strike drones, guidance of unmanned aircraft behind Russian lines, aerial logistics, and interceptor drones being developed against Russia's increasingly fast jet-powered Shahed drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the limits had stopped Starshield being used against Shahed attack drones, and warned that Russia was exploiting the problems to field more interceptor drones of its own.
Musk points the finger at Washington
Musk has denied personal responsibility, writing on X: "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk and Trump discussed the decision by phone, including before the slowdown was implemented.
Trump has denied ordering any restrictions. "It wasn't me. And I don't think it was Elon," he told reporters. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon had "not manipulated the service" and issued no directives. Reuters, citing American and Western officials, reported the restrictions came directly from the White House, though the individual behind the order remains unidentified.
Ukraine's response and the road ahead
Zelensky condemned the failure to alert Kyiv before heavy Russian strikes, calling it "completely unjust." Ukrainian officers told AFP it was "obvious" the United States was "helping Russia for some reason." Zelensky later said he had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that the early-warning system was working again.
Kyiv has also presented evidence it says proves the restrictions are deliberate. Zelensky said Ukraine tested Starshield in adjacent European Union countries, where it "worked perfectly," concluding: "The restrictions are in effect within Ukraine but do not apply within the European Union. In other words, this is a planned operation." The episode comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Trump has urged Ukraine to halt, and a US decision easing sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
For now, connectivity has been partially restored, though some Ukrainian users continue to report inconsistent service. Who ordered the slowdown, and why, remains officially unresolved, with Washington, the Pentagon, and SpaceX each denying responsibility.
Watch: CNN reports on how the Starlink restriction left Ukraine exposed to Russian drone attacks
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