Ukraine Says New Starlink Limits Disrupted Military Operations as Russia Strikes Power Grid

Starlink restrictions blamed for disrupted warnings

Ukraine has accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on its Starlink satellite internet service without warning a move Kyiv says hampered military operations and deprived the country of advance notice of Russian missile launches. The allegation surfaced as Russia carried out fresh strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that left hundreds of thousands without power.

Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, said on Telegram that SpaceX introduced a speed limit for Starlink terminals in motion. He said the restriction applies to the StarShield military service package and caps speed at roughly 100 mph (about 160 km/h). Beskrestnov said the limit disrupted some missions and suggested the measure was politically motivated, adding that SpaceX may have acted at the request of the Trump administration. SpaceX and the White House were contacted for comment.

Zelenskyy said for the second time this week Ukraine did not receive advance warning from partners about Russian ballistic missile launches. The latest unannounced attack on Kyiv damaged a residential building, killing one person and injuring six. Beskrestnov linked the lack of warning to the new Starlink limit.

Energy infrastructure hit amid contested 'energy ceasefire'

The Starlink dispute comes as Russia intensified attacks on Ukraine's power and energy facilities. Overnight attacks damaged 26 power-system facilities and four oil and gas sector sites, Zelenskyy said in a post on X, leaving at least 600,000 people without electricity across the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions. He described a targeted ballistic strike against energy infrastructure he said should have been covered by a recent proposal for an "energy ceasefire."

The so-called energy ceasefire was proposed publicly by U.S. President Donald Trump in an effort to pause attacks on energy sites and potentially reduce the cost of oil and diesel. Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities initially denied knowledge of any formal agreement. Ukraine later welcomed the idea, while Russia said talks were ongoing without confirming a deal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov referenced Ukraine's reaction to the proposal and suggested Moscow was awaiting clarification.

Zelenskyy criticized the scale and deliberate nature of the latest strike, calling it an ostentatious display of disrespect toward the United States. The timing of the attack has renewed questions about whether the broader ceasefire concept is being observed in practice.

Analysts and officials will be watching for any further operational impacts from reduced or restricted satellite communications, given Starlink's prominent role in Ukrainian military and civil communications since the full-scale war began. The interplay between private-sector providers of critical communications infrastructure and geopolitical pressures is likely to remain a flashpoint as the conflict continues.

For now, Ukrainian authorities are grappling with both disruptions to battlefield communications and the practical consequences of damaged energy infrastructure as winter approaches and power restoration becomes more urgent.