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Zelensky accuses [of] new restrictions on Starshield / Ukraine claims it can no longer intercept some Russian drones in time

Ana Maria Eftene

12 November 2026, 10:57

International

Volodimir Zelenski / Foto: Shutterstock

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that speed restrictions imposed on the Starshield system are affecting the interception of Russian drones along the entire front line in Ukraine. According to him, military units recorded the disruptions for several days, and they also affected Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

Zelensky claims that the limitations are not accidental errors, but systematic restrictions that cap Starshield’s operating speed at 161 kilometers per hour. Under these conditions, Ukrainian interception systems would no longer be able to reach the speed needed to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones.

The Ukrainian president said that some attacks managed to get through the air defenses because the interceptors could not reach their targets in time. He accused the situation of allowing Russia to carry out more precise strikes and cause more casualties.

Starshield is the military version of the Starlink satellite communications service, operated by SpaceX. Similar restrictions were reportedly lifted several weeks earlier, but were recently reintroduced. Ukraine is now seeking to clarify the reasons for and responsibility behind the new limitations in discussions with the American side.

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Context: before the new Starshield restrictions, Ukraine and the US accused each other over control of SpaceX communications

Before the new disruptions, Elon Musk accused Ukraine of allegedly violating the terms of use for Starlink/Starshield and warned that the service could be shut down if the rules were not followed. The statements came after episodes in which Kyiv reported limitations that affected the network’s use for drone operations, while Zelensky publicly urged Musk to restore the service.

Meanwhile, several US institutions and press investigations intensified the tensions: a bipartisan group of senators called for an investigation into the interruption of access to Starshield, while Reuters reported that the order to limit access allegedly came from within the White House, amid pressure from the Trump administration on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian refineries. The Pentagon denied issuing the directive, and Musk maintained that any decision to impose restrictions belonged to the US government authorities.