Yuri Kobzar18:28, 14.10.26

Ukraine has restricted access to Starshield without warning, disrupting drone operations.

SpaceX, without warning, restricted the Starshield system, part of the Starlink network, for Ukraine . This impacted Ukrainian military operations on the front lines, as Russia intensified its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to The New York Times .

“Ukraine was stunned to discover restrictions on the use of the Starshield system, which it said led to the failure of several combat operations. Ukrainian officials say these restrictions tie Ukraine’s hands while leaving Russia free to wage war,” the publication states.

The publication cites a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stating that Starshield terminals began losing connection when the devices traveled at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. Ukraine is negotiating with the US government, SpaceX, and its NATO partners to resolve this issue.

The restrictions specifically affected heavy attack drones and wing-type drones, which attack Russian positions and logistics routes in the occupied territories. A Ukrainian soldier from the 8th Airborne Assault Corps, Alexander, warned that if the situation continues, Russia will be able to restore important supply routes within days and better protect its equipment from Ukrainian attacks.

Ukrainian Presidential Advisor on Military Technologies Serhiy Beskrestnov emphasized that problems with the Starshield also complicate the use of interceptor drones against Russian Shaheds, particularly high-speed jet models.

“In fact, our partners’ actions are depriving us of one of the few ways to protect the country from Shahed missiles,” Beskrestnov said.

Former Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhiy Sternenko also criticized the current situation. He said Kyiv agreed to Donald Trump’s demand to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, but in return faced new restrictions.

“Trump was looking for any opportunity to weaken our defense capabilities,” Sternenko wrote on social media.

As the NYT notes, Ukraine fears that Washington may also restrict the sharing of intelligence necessary to warn the population of missile strikes. Amid reports of a lack of advance warning of one of the Russian strikes, the Ukrainian Air Force clarified that it received information about three subsequent waves of attacks that night.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to strike Ukraine’s energy grid. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky reported that all three Kyiv thermal power plants were hit during the Wednesday night attack. According to the publication, the new strikes are exacerbating the threat of power and water outages in the capital.

(C)UNIAN 2026