New restrictions on the speed at which some of Ukraine’s weapons can travel and stay connected to the Starlink internet network have disrupted Ukraine’s battlefield “missions”, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser has warned.
Serhiy Beskrestnov said Ukraine had not been told about speed limits set overnight at 100mph (160km/h) by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
Starlink is a vital tool allowing Kyiv to effectively guide drones to Russian targets and also protect Ukrainian skies.
Beskrestnov said SpaceX’s move “cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation”. The firm has not commented.
In Wednesday’s post on Telegram, Beskrestnov said that SpaceX had “implemented overnight a speed limit on Starlink terminals” and this had already resulted in “the disruption of a number of missions”.
In a follow-up post, the adviser stressed that Starlink was the most effective tool for enabling interceptors to shoot down Russia’s newly developed jet-propelled drones.
It comes as at least 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity after deadly overnight Russian missile and drone strikes, Zelensky said. Pictures from Kyiv showed residents, some dressed in their pajamas, with bloodied faces.
He added that “critical” energy infrastructure had been hit in Kyiv and the capital region, and in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv – despite US President Donald Trump’s claim on Sunday that an “energy ceasefire” was in place between Russia and Ukraine.
Three people were killed in Kyiv, local officials reported. Russia said its “massive” strikes had hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine’s military.
Later on Wednesday, at least six people were killed in a Russian drone strike on a warehouse in the north-western city of Lutsk, local officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
