Presidential adviser says Ukraine is in talks to lift speed limit on military satellite network

Ukraine is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a speed cap on its military satellite communication service

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift a speed cap on its military satellite communication service, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, but the country has no explanation for why the restriction was imposed at a time when Kyiv is increasingly at odds with Washington.

The cap, imposed without warning early Thursday, cuts the internet data connection when a communication terminal moves faster than 160 kph (100 mph), which is common for Ukrainian drones equipped with Starshield , the military version of the Starlink satellite service offered by SpaceX. The restriction forced the drones to fly slower than usual, making it easier for Russian weapons to target or evade them.

“But we now understand that this is not only a technical issue and not only a business issue, but also a political one,” Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Zelenskyy, told The Associated Press in an interview.

“How this will develop, who will make this decision, who influences these decisions, we can only guess,” he said.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said this week that the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield, with decisions about its use resting with the American military and, ultimately, with President Donald Trump. The Pentagon has not answered questions from AP about the restriction.

Trump told reporters Friday that he did not order restrictions on the system. He also doubted that the disruption came from Musk.

“Well, I don’t know if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon,” Trump said outside the White House before leaving for Georgia. “And from what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.”

The episode adds to the deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington that were already strained by Trump’s deal to import Russian diesel , which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal, and by what Zelenskyy described as a breakdown in Western intelligence sharing .

The speed restriction disrupted front-line operations and left Ukraine more exposed to Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones , which fly at more than 400 kph (250 mph). Kyiv recently found a way to counter the drones after weeks of relentless attacks that killed dozens of civilians.

Ukraine relies on Starshield, which previously had no speed limit, to control interceptor drones that chase down the jet-powered drones at speeds far above the cap.

“Our guys in the armed forces are showing that the solution works effectively,” Beskrestnov said. “And then comes a surprise: At one moment, this solution stops protecting our country."

The cap also affects Ukrainian helicopters that hunt propeller-driven Shahed drones, Beskrestnov said.

Starshield is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations. Beskrestnov described it as a package managed by the Pentagon and the U.S. government and offered to partner countries for military use. It has separate fees and terms from the civilian satellite service, as well as a more stable, higher priority connection.