Ukraine’s military faced fresh communication problems on Wednesday after restrictions on SpaceX’s Starlink service affected drone operations. The disruption came during a growing dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, plays a key role in Ukraine’s military communications. Ukrainian forces use the satellite network to share information, guide reconnaissance drones and operate systems designed to intercept Russian drones. The service also supports communication between troops and helps coordinate operations across the battlefield.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions began on Tuesday night. Service partly returned the next day, but the military was still seeking an explanation for the sudden changes. Officials also wanted to know who had decided to limit the system.
The incident came amid a wider political dispute over Trump’s agreement to ease sanctions on Russian oil sales. Zelensky criticized the decision, and Trump later called for Ukraine to elect a new president. The disagreement added to concerns in Kyiv about the future of U.S. support.
A senior U.S. official said the Trump administration had no role in the reported Starlink restrictions. However, Ukrainian officials questioned whether the disruption was connected to the political tensions between the two countries.
According to Ukrainian accounts, Starlink connections stopped working when drones travelled faster than 160 kilometers per hour. In some cases, the system reportedly disconnected at speeds above 80 kilometers per hour. The restrictions affected missions that rely on fast-moving drones.
The disruption also coincided with a separate concern over intelligence sharing. Ukrainian officials said their military did not receive an early warning before a Russian ballistic missile attack. They noted that the United States had supplied similar alerts over the previous several years.
U.S. officials reportedly pointed to a technical malfunction as an explanation for the Starlink problem. Ukrainian officials remained uncertain about that account and questioned whether the restrictions were intentional. No public evidence had established that the service changes were ordered for political reasons.
Speaking at a meeting in London with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Zelensky said Ukraine had faced major Russian attacks while also dealing with problems involving Starlink and intelligence. He stressed the importance of cooperation with Washington and said Ukraine wanted clear communication with its partners.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said the service remained subject to a speed limit of 160 kilometers per hour. Although the situation had improved compared with the morning, the limit was still too low for some military tasks. A Ukrainian official said it could prevent the interception of certain Russian jet-powered drones.
The ministry said it was in contact with SpaceX and other partners to secure stable service and avoid sudden restrictions. The talks were aimed at ensuring that the satellite network could continue to support Ukraine’s defense needs.
Some Ukrainian officials suspect the restrictions may have been imposed to pressure Kyiv to accept Trump’s demand that it stop attacking Russian oil refineries. That theory remains an allegation, and SpaceX has not publicly confirmed that the limits were linked to the dispute over Russian oil.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also challenged Musk in a public message on X. He asked whether Musk was using his products to influence political matters and said European customers were watching the situation.
Ukraine uses two satellite systems for different purposes. Starlink supports communications, logistics, ground forces and defensive drones. Starshield, another SpaceX system, is controlled by the U.S. government and used for military purposes. Ukrainian officials said both systems had faced restrictions.
Musk addressed the difference between the systems in a post on X but did not directly explain the Starlink disruption. He said the U.S. government controls Starshield and that limits on its use are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.
He described Starlink as a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Musk said its use was limited to civilian and defensive activities and should not support offensive military action.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s senior advisers contacted White House counterparts on Wednesday to ask whether a decision had been made to restrict the service and how the problem could be resolved, according to two sources. Ukrainian officials also contacted the CIA and the Pentagon.
The White House reportedly told Ukrainian officials that it did not control SpaceX. One source said the administration planned to contact the company to learn what had happened. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine continues to seek answers as it relies on satellite communications for battlefield coordination and drone defense. Until the cause of the restrictions is established, questions remain about the reliability of the service and the effect of the disruption on cooperation between Kyiv and Washington.
