Zelensky Says Starshield Limits Hamper Drone Interceptions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces have faced renewed speed restrictions on Starshield satellite communications for several days, hampering efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. He said the service was limited to 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph) across the front line and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and that some Russian strikes had got through.

Zelensky said the restrictions were systematic rather than random technical errors. Ukrainian interceptor drones could not reach the speeds needed to engage some Russian aircraft in time, he said, complicating the country’s air defences. The battlefield effects described by Zelensky have not been independently confirmed in the reports.

Ukraine is seeking clarification from the United States about the restrictions, Zelensky said. He did not identify who imposed them or give a reason. SpaceX and U.S. officials had not provided an explanation in the cited reporting.

Starshield is the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications service. Ukraine uses the system for military communications, including operations involving drones. A Ukrainian commander in Donetsk Oblast, speaking...