Ukraine Says SpaceX Limits Starlink Services, Disrupting Military Drone Missions

Service Limits Disrupt Drone Missions

SpaceX has introduced a limit on some Starlink satellite internet services in Ukraine, disrupting combat drone missions for which the technology is crucial, Ukrainian officials said on Oct 14.

Presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram that Ukraine's defence forces did not receive a warning about the limitation, and that this led to the disruption of several missions. He said SpaceX had stopped the operation of its military grade version above 160 kmh.

Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the south east of the country, said units had been forced to cancel some missions. In a statement to Reuters, the corps said that during flights the connection could drop for 10 to 20 seconds at speeds of just 110 to 120 kmh, and that the drones kept moving but the interruptions made them harder to control.

A source in Ukraine's defence ministry added that the limitations significantly complicate logistics and some drone operations.

Reason for Throttling Unclear

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular US business hours. It was not immediately clear why the Starlink service was throttled, although the move comes as Washington pressures Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Starlink does not work inside Russia, and Ukrainian drones hitting Russia's oil industry use other means of communication. Ukraine has also said that it did not receive the usual advance warning from its allies about some recent missile strikes on the capital.

Starlink's Role on the Battlefield

Since being turned on over Ukraine in the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022, Starlink has been the lifeblood of Ukrainian battlefield communications, with units using its satellite internet to talk to each other.

Over time, its resistance to electronic signal jamming also made it a crucial tool for flying long range attack drones as well as large hexacopters that drop supplies to Ukraine's frontline. The satellite terminals remain vital for guiding longer range drone strikes in occupied southern and eastern Ukraine.

Sources: The Straits Times · Reuters · Techmeme