Key facts
- Zelenskyy said terminals moving above 161 kilometers per hour, or 100 miles per hour, lose their link to the satellite network.
- The current slowdown is the second such disruption in roughly three weeks; Ukraine's military first detected it on October 14.
- Service returned on October 24 after Trump reportedly called Musk to lift the caps.
- Zelenskyy said some Russian strikes have penetrated Ukrainian defenses because interceptors could not fly fast enough.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Nov. 12, 2026, that SpaceX’s Starshield military satellite communications service had slowed again along Ukraine’s entire front line and in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory. Starshield is SpaceX’s military communications service built on the Starlink network.
A Ukrainian official told CBS News that the limits began gradually three days before the report and now affect 100 percent of the contact line and occupied areas, with the contact line described as the first layer of defense and the first point for intercepting Russian drones. Ukraine’s military investigated the restrictions and concluded they were systematic, not random errors, a review that followed briefings from Zelenskyy’s defense minister and top commander, according to the president.
Kyiv and SpaceX are at odds over whether Starshield is currently restricted, with Ukraine asserting systematic speed limits and SpaceX denying any alteration. SpaceX’s media relations department told Ars Technica on Nov. 12, 2026, that there had been no change to the service.
Zelenskyy said the network cuts links to terminals moving faster than 161 kilometers per hour, or 100 miles per hour, a cap that specifically affects military drones trying to operate above the threshold. He said Ukrainian interceptor drones rely on Starshield to chase Russian jet-powered Shahed drones that can reach 500 kilometers per hour, or 310 miles per hour, and that interceptors cannot catch them at 100 miles per hour.
Zelenskyy said Russian strikes have penetrated Ukrainian defenses as interceptors were unable to fly fast enough. He said the restrictions aid Russian forces in killing more Ukrainians and carrying out more accurate strikes. He said Ukrainian forces are unable to stop Russian drones operating from occupied areas when their own drones lack satellite links, a point he made in a speech at a European leaders summit in Ireland.
Ukraine’s military first detected the current slowdown on Oct. 14, 2026, making it the second such disruption in roughly three weeks. The network came back on Oct. 24, 2026, after Trump reportedly called Musk to lift the caps amid bipartisan pressure from lawmakers.
Elon Musk said in October 2026 that decisions about Starshield restrictions rest with the US government, which he said assigns authority to the government and the president. According to CBS News sources, Musk personally ordered a cut to Starshield service for Ukraine the previous month after conversations with Trump administration officials.
Musk has also said at one time that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government, and he later accused Ukraine of violating Starlink terms of service. He also stated that SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s commercial Starlink use because of terms violations and offensive strikes.
US senators asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate who ordered the restrictions, and the office declined. A bipartisan group of nine senators called for a Department of Defense investigation in October 2026. Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas said on Nov. 12, 2026, that the reports left him deeply concerned and that he demanded a full investigation.
Ukraine officials reportedly believe the limit was reinstated to pressure Ukraine amid peace talks with Russia. An unnamed Ukrainian source told CBS News that SpaceX carried out the restrictions, echoing views from the earlier outage, while Zelenskyy himself did not assign blame for the latest problems.
The latest Starshield disruptions started one day after US-brokered Russia-Ukraine peace talks wrapped up in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 11, 2026. The two-day talks did not discuss the disruptions, and the decision-maker remained unclear.
Thomas Regnier of the European Commission said at a news conference in Brussels that Starshield services require urgent restoration, so Ukraine can keep soldiers connected and defend its territory. Regnier framed restoration as necessary for Ukrainian soldiers, citizens, and territorial defense.
SpaceX has received Pentagon contracts to give Ukraine access to Starshield. The Pentagon’s contracts fund Ukraine’s access to the military service, tying the network to US defense spending and making the Pentagon a central party to the dispute.
Industry analysts and European company executives say the disruptions highlight the risks tied to dependence on a single commercial satellite network that Ukraine cannot control, while also pointing to IRIS2, sovereign constellation programs, and commercial alternatives as possible future sources of diversity. Pacôme Révillon of Novaspace said on a Via Satellite webinar on Nov. 11, 2026, that Starlink is a key enabler, but dependence on a single uncontrolled source is not ideal, and the problem has persisted for two to three years.
Rafel Jorda Siquier, head of British satellite firm Open Cosmos, said Europe requires assured, sovereign satellite services under its own control instead of depending on switches outside its control. Iceye and Nokia signed a letter of intent with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence to develop satellite communications for the country.
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