Ukraine Reports Starlink Speed Limits During Moscow Peace Talks
Military units say a 100 Mbps cap is hindering drone defenses as US envoys meet with Putin.
By Pedro Tanaka ·
Ukrainian military units reported a renewed wave of speed restrictions on the Starshield satellite network on Thursday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a limit of 100 Mbps is being imposed on the service. He described the changes as systematic rather than random errors. The restrictions are affecting the entire front line and Russian-occupied territories.
Zelenskyy said the slowdown complicates the interception of Russian jet-powered drones. He noted that the system normally operates at speeds exceeding 250 Mbps. He claimed that strikes have already penetrated defenses because interception systems could not reach sufficient speeds to react in time. The Ukrainian government is working with the United States to clarify the reasons for the limitation.
SpaceX has not responded to requests for comment regarding the issue. The dispute over the network's performance has a recent history. Ukraine first raised concerns about speed limits last month. Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, attributed the restrictions to President Donald Trump. The White House maintained that the decision fell under Musk's authority. Trump denied involvement in the slowdown.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are currently in Moscow. They are meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This visit follows a two-day trilateral summit in Abu Dhabi. That summit marked the first such meeting since February. The talks ended without a major breakthrough, though both sides agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war.
Kushner stated that trust between the sides remains low. He explained that the purpose of the Moscow meeting was to finalize humanitarian relief plans and prisoner releases. He also said the goal was to add European nations to the negotiating format to create a multilateral process. Moscow has previously resisted bringing Europe to the main table.
After their meeting with Putin, Kushner and Witkoff will fly to Dublin to meet with Zelenskyy. The diplomatic efforts continue while fighting persists on the front lines. Neither side has achieved major territorial gains in recent months. The conflict has shifted toward daily attacks using long-range missiles and drones.
Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian cities to cut off water and power supplies as winter approaches. Kyiv has resumed attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials reported that five civilians were killed and 29 injured by strikes overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down 71 drones during the same period.
