Ukraine’s drones lose their Starlink hyperlink above 100 mph. Musk, Rubio and Trump all say it is not them
Speed of communication has been important on the battlefield for so long as people have waged warfare. From the legendary roughly 25-mile messenger’s run to announce an Athenian victory at Marathon, to warfare drums and provider pigeons, to the telegraph, and proper as much as as we speak’s militaries’ reliance on high-speed digital hyperlinks, speedy info transmission is crucial for army success.
The pace of a weapons system is crucial, too.
That’s why a sudden lack of satellite tv for pc connectivity for Ukrainian drones and automobiles shifting sooner than 100 miles per hour earlier this month represented a serious blow to the nation’s struggle towards Russia.
A pace cap, with out warning
Overnight from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14, Ukrainian army customers discovered that satellite-connected {hardware} touring sooner than 100 mph (160 km/h) lost its connection, in accordance with Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a protection know-how adviser to Ukraine’s president. Some items reported issues at even decrease speeds: Ukraine’s seventh Rapid Reaction Corps mentioned connections dropped for 10 to twenty seconds at 110 to 120 km/h, and Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko, citing army reviews, claimed drops at speeds as low as 60 to 70 km/h—roughly 37 to 43 mph.
Beskrestnov mentioned the restriction utilized to Starshield’s army service bundle, the government- and defense-focused model of the satellite tv for pc web community run by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. (SpaceX’s civilian service, Starlink, has more than 12 million customers.) Exactly which service Ukraine’s forces depend on has itself change into some extent of dispute: Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned over the weekend that Ukraine does not currently have access to Starshield and that its request for it’s “beneath dialog.”
Whatever the label, the impact on the battlefield was speedy. Ukraine makes use of domestically constructed interceptor drones to hunt Russia’s jet-powered Shahed assault drones, recognized in Russia because the Geran-3, which might fly as fast as 370 km/h, or about 230 mph. An interceptor that loses its hyperlink above 100 mph—or, by some accounts, above 43 mph—is badly outmatched. Ukrainian sources have mentioned terminals have to work at speeds of at least 450 km/h to counter the jet drones.
“The most pace as we speak is 161 km/h; after exceeding it, Starlink shuts down and we lose the drone,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Oct. 17, adding that Ukrainian specialists had examined terminals at 180 km/h contained in the European Union with out dropping connection. “The restrictions function on the territory of Ukraine and don’t function on the territory of EU nations.” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry mentioned service had partially stabilized for terminals shifting under about 160 km/h, however as of the weekend, Zelenskyy mentioned the cap remained in place.
Outrage at Musk—and on Capitol Hill
Much of the preliminary blame fell on Musk and SpaceX. Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s overseas minister, posted on X: “Hey, @elonmusk, large man, are you taking part in politics along with your merchandise once more? As your European prospects, we’re watching you.” Poland has paid for tens of thousands of the terminals Ukraine makes use of. (The two males have clashed earlier than: In 2025, Musk advised Sikorski to “be quiet, small man” in a dispute over Starlink in Ukraine.)
Condemnation additionally got here from each side of the U.S. political aisle. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) asked Musk on X to verify the “in a single day disruptions to Starlink terminals in Ukraine had been unintended” and to make clear SpaceX’s place, warning that “deliberately degrading Ukraine’s potential to defend itself is likely to be construed as aiding and abetting a mass assassin.” He later called for a Pentagon inspector general investigation. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote that “these restrictions on Ukraine’s entry to Starshield should cease instantly.” (Fortune reached out to each senators’ workplaces for remark however didn’t hear again earlier than publication.)
Musk factors to the White House
Musk disavowed accountability, posting on X, which he owns: “Starshield programs are owned and managed by the US authorities. Any limits on pace or utilization are determined by the US army and in the end POTUS.”
Two U.S. officers and a Western official later advised Reuters that the order to slow Starshield service for Ukraine came from inside the White House, although they didn’t say who made the choice. A senior Ukrainian official advised the information company that Kyiv had referred to as the White House, State Department, and Pentagon and was advised it was a White House resolution. Separately, the Telegraph, citing 4 sources, reported that Musk himself proposed the caps to Trump, who authorised them.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press on Oct. 18, Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine’s generals, its authorities, and he himself consider the throttling was “a message from [the] American authorities to restrict the pace.” He added: “Technically, SpaceX did it,” however “it’s restricted as a result of it’s a call,” and mentioned service can be restored “if President Trump will determine tomorrow—or higher, as we speak—if he’ll personally determine to carry this resolution,” in accordance with Yahoo Finance.
The Trump administration denies any involvement. Rubio, who serves as each secretary of state and nationwide safety adviser, advised reporters that “nobody on the White House ordered anybody to decelerate web or decelerate pace in order that sure drones couldn’t use it,” calling such reviews “categorically false,” according to Al Jazeera. He additionally mentioned the slowdown “type of occurred” however that service had been restored to where it was before—a declare Kyiv disputes. Trump himself advised reporters, “It wasn’t me, and I don’t suppose it was Elon,” per CBS News.
A string of strikes that favor Moscow
The throttling comes amid a collection of administration strikes which have eased strain on Russia as Trump pushes Kyiv to halt drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he has blamed for rising vitality costs forward of the midterms. On Oct. 9, after Trump announced a diesel deal with Putin, the Treasury Department issued General License 135, permitting the sale and import of Russian-origin diesel—blocked by sanctions since 2022, the 12 months Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine—by way of April 7, 2027. The deal drew bipartisan backlash in Congress.
Then, late on Oct. 16, Trump signed an government order waiving nearly all of the substantive sanctions, tariffs, and restrictions within the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026—a regulation he signed just a month earlier—earlier than they took impact on Oct. 18. The administration has additionally threatened to cut arms supplies to Ukraine, and Trump has referred to as for Ukraine to get a new president.
A White House spokeswoman has mentioned the sanctions authorities give the president instruments to pursue peace. But critics argue that renewed gasoline gross sales and suspended sanctions and tariffs put more cash in Vladimir Putin’s pocket to fund the warfare.
Those financial measures might weaken Ukraine’s place over months. Losing the flexibility to fly quick drones, in contrast, hurts Ukraine proper now—and arms Russia a right away benefit within the skies.
