Ukraine claims Starlink is suddenly disrupting service for its military
Elon Musk recently said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ‘has gone too far’ by targeting Russian oil refineries.
Elon Musk recently said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ‘has gone too far’ by targeting Russian oil refineries.
by
Emma Roth
Oct 14, 2026, 3:06 PM UTC
Photo by Andrew Kravchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Emma Roth
is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
Ukrainian officials claim the Elon Musk-owned Starlink put new limits on its service in the area without warning, disrupting the country’s drone operations and missions,according to reports fromReutersandtheFinancial Times. The move comes just days afterMusk wrote on Xthat Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “has gone too far,” in response to President Donald Trump’s disapproval of Ukraine targeting Russian oil refineries.
“It is clear that this action is not coincidental and is related to the current political situation,” Ukrainian defense tech advisor Serhii Beskrestnovwrites on Telegram.
Earlier this week, Russia launched a barrage of missiles thatstruck multiple power plants in Ukraine, despitethe “energy ceasefire” Trump claimedthat the two countries have reached. Zelenskyysaid in a post on Xthat the military received “no advance warning from our partners about the ballistic missile launch.”
Beskrestnov writes that Starlink has imposed a new restriction that prevents it from connecting to devices traveling at over 100mph. He adds that this has “led to the disruption of several missions,” as reported byReuters. The limitation is impacting Ukraine’s ability to protect itself from Russian drone strikes as well, Beskrestnov says.
The apparent Starlink restriction has begun to draw criticism from international leaders. Radosław Sikorski, the deputy prime minister of Poland,which pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, issueda warning to Musk on X: “Hey, @elonmusk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you.” SpaceX didn’t immediately respond toThe Verge’s request for comment.
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