Zelensky says Starshield restrictions give Russia more room to attack, accuses SpaceX of treating occupied territories as 'not ours'

Speed restrictions on the Starshield satellite communications system, the military version of Starlink, over Russian-occupied territories are “very dangerous” because they carry political implications for Ukraine’s sovereignty, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 13.

"If you impose restrictions there, you are already partially recognizing the temporarily occupied territories as not ours," Zelensky told journalists, referring to the existing ban on Ukraine using Starshield to target sites inside Russia, which has now been partially extended to Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow.

The new restrictions limit Starshield's operating speed to 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), limiting Ukraine's ability to shoot down Russian strike drones, which are usually intercepted over occupied territory before they reach government-controlled areas.

"We have to shoot them down at other lines of defense, and this gives the Russians more opportunities to attack," Zelensky said.

Zelensky said the Defense Ministry had spoken with SpaceX, and the company replied that it was "not imposing any restrictions" and called the problem a technical issue.

"We do not believe that is the case," Zelensky said. He added that the restrictions had been in place for five days and that Ukraine tests the connection in different directions every day.

"Every day, we get the same confirmation. So these are not isolated cases; they are widespread," he said.

SpaceX has publicly denied the reports. "This is false. There has been no change," the company told Axios.

Zelensky also said that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him in an earlier conversation that Starshield was "more under the control of the U.S. government than of SpaceX."

"The current Starshield restrictions suggest that SpaceX imposed them. That's what our team is telling me. So this doesn't quite line up with what we heard earlier," Zelensky said.

Ukraine widely uses both commercial Starlink terminals and their militarized version, Starshield. This year's mid-range strike campaign has allowed Ukraine to strangle Russian logistics, hampering Russia's ability to advance on the front lines.

In the U.S., the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, a bipartisan support group for Ukraine, demanded a full explanation from the Trump administration and SpaceX, and called for the immediate restoration of full Starshield access for Ukraine.

"Congress has been clear that Ukraine's ability to defend itself and the rest of Europe is a vital national interest of the United States," the group's statement said.