What Zelenskyy said
Ukraine remains unable to use its interceptor systems against Russian drones because of speed restrictions on Starshield, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday. Starshield is an upgraded military version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service. Speaking in an online group chat with reporters at the EU Summit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine cannot currently use the technology to shoot down jet-powered Shaheds.
He said Ukraine can still stop the drones with aircraft and other air defenses, but not with Starlink. "God willing, this will be restored," he said, according to CBS News.
Zelenskyy gave a technical description of the problem. "Here (in Ukraine) Starlink works up to a speed of 161 km/h, then shuts off," he said, adding that in the EU "it works at 180-plus and works constantly." In Ukraine, he said, the service shuts off in the second minute after passing 161 km/h. "We lose both drones and connectivity," he said.
Who is responsible
Zelenskyy said Kyiv is in dialogue with U.S. officials at the level of the military, the Ministry of Defense and diplomats, and is in touch with everyone, including SpaceX. He said he was told the restrictions stem from technical issues. But he also said that "nobody there is answering our military or the Ministry of Defense now."
Ukrainian officials and soldiers told CBS News that the military began having sudden difficulties with Starshield equipment late Tuesday. They described speed limits that made missions with fast-moving drones harder. Sources in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said SpaceX imposed the restrictions unilaterally.
President Trump told reporters Friday that he had not limited Ukraine's access to Starlink and did not think Musk, SpaceX's CEO, was responsible either. "I don't know if it was anybody because it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," he said, adding that "it's the same as it's always been." Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that Starshield systems are "owned and controlled by the US government," and that any limits on speed or usage "are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
Why Starshield matters on the battlefield
According to CBS News, Starshield is essential to Ukraine's armed forces. It lets personnel communicate and carry out strikes, including by keeping contact with drones over long distances.
Zelenskyy said a day earlier that the restrictions had left people vulnerable to Russian drones. He called the situation "very painful and frustrating." On Saturday he also said Russia had carried out a large attack on Ukraine's energy sector, targeting more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities across the country.
Strained ties with Washington
The dispute comes as Trump has grown more frustrated with Zelenskyy, blaming the war for high global energy prices. Last week the administration waived restrictions on buying Russian diesel to ease pressure. Zelenskyy called the move "unfortunate" and said he believes the "diesel deal" is only a first step toward lifting more sanctions on Russia.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told CBS News that the act gives the president additional authorities to pursue a peaceful resolution. She said that enforcing the sanctions provisions now "would impede ongoing U.S. efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace agreement."
In a Newsmax interview late Thursday, Trump said, "I'm not a big fan of Zelenskyy." He also said Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries would be a "disgrace." Musk wrote on Wednesday, "Time for Zelensky to go."
Trump had also announced an "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskyy said Russia's strikes never stopped, and he later told the Financial Times that Ukraine would no longer hold off on hitting Russian refineries. The Russian government never confirmed it had agreed to a ceasefire.
