SpaceX Has Restricted the Operation of Starlink Terminals for the Military, Says Sternenko

On the night of October 13–14, SpaceX restricted the operation of the Starlink satellite communication terminals used by the Ukrainian military. As a result, according to Serhiy Sternenko, an activist, volunteer, and former advisor to the Minister of Defense, several important missions were disrupted.

“Last night, the operation of Starlink terminals was restricted. While moving at speeds exceeding 160 km/h, the connection began to drop. As a result, a number of important missions were disrupted,” he wrote.

Serhiy Sternenko speculated that the decision to restrict the terminals’ operation may have been made at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. However, he did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

According to the activist, standard satellite communication terminals are currently still operating.

There is no official confirmation from SpaceX regarding the reasons for the possible restrictions in the aforementioned statement. Nor does it specify exactly which military missions were disrupted or how many units may have encountered communication problems.

Starlink plays a crucial role in providing communications for the Ukrainian military, so any potential restrictions on its operation could impact the ability of units that rely on satellite internet to carry out their missions.

Sternenko reported this on Telegram.

Earlier, Elon Musk, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX—which develops and manufactures the Starlink satellite system—expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump, who had urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to strike Russian oil refineries. 

Following Musk’s statement, discussions resumed in Ukraine and abroad regarding the risk of a potential Starlink shutdown; however, Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, considers such a scenario unlikely.

American businessman Elon Musk joined in the criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which had previously been voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

On October 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to a statement by American billionaire Elon Musk, who claimed that the Ukrainian leader had allegedly “gone too far” and should step down. Zelenskyy emphasized that stopping Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is much more difficult than putting pressure on Ukraine.