An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that traffic restrictions on the vital communications network Starlink had disrupted Ukrainian "missions" on the battlefield.
Serhiy Beskrestnov said that the Ukrainian forces were not informed of the restrictions imposed by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, during the night, which limits the maximum speed of movement of network communication devices to 160 kilometers per hour.
A source in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense later confirmed this to the BBC.
Starlink is a vital tool that allows Kiev to effectively direct drones towards Russian targets, as well as protect Ukrainian airspace. SpaceX has not commented publicly on the matter.
This comes after bloody Russian missile and drone strikes overnight caused a power outage for at least 600,000 people across Ukraine, according to Zelensky.
Zelensky said that the strikes hit "vital" energy infrastructure in Kiev and the area surrounding the capital, as well as in the city of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday that a "ceasefire that excludes energy facilities from targeting" was in effect between Russia and Ukraine.
Local officials announced that three people were killed in Kyiv. Russia announced that its "intensive" strikes targeted communications and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian army.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
In a post on the Telegram application on Wednesday, Beskrestnov said that SpaceX imposed “overnight a maximum speed limit on the movement of Starlink stations,” and that this had already led to “the disruption of a number of missions.”
He added: "It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence, and that it is linked to the current political situation."
In a subsequent post, Zelensky's advisor stressed that Starlink is the most effective tool for enabling interceptor drones to shoot down newly developed Russian drones equipped with jet engines.
A source in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense later told the BBC: “Last night, we observed restrictions affecting connectivity to the Starlink network when speeds exceed 160 kilometers per hour.”
He added that an investigation is underway to determine the "root cause" of the problem.
Sources in the ministry explained, “As soon as a vehicle or equipment exceeds this specific speed, which is 160 kilometers per hour, the communication station loses its connection to the network.”
The sources told the BBC that this makes it more difficult to carry out drone operations, “specifically interceptor drones and drones designated for medium-range strikes,” and also weakens “capabilities in the areas of logistical supply, reconnaissance, and rebroadcasting signals on the front lines.”
In February 2026, Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink slowed Moscow's advance in Ukraine and confused Russian leaders.
Musk's company, SpaceX, did not comment on the reported speed restrictions.
Zelensky said that the United States threatened to restrict the exchange of intelligence information unless he agreed to stop targeting energy facilities that Trump announced.
On Tuesday, Trump denied that Washington was withholding intelligence information.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 39 ballistic and winged missiles and 128 drones during the night, and shot down four of those missiles and 115 drones.
This is the second night in a row that Kiev has been subjected to Russian missile strikes, while Zelensky was preparing to meet British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss accelerating the supply of air defense systems to Kiev.
During the past two nights, ballistic missiles hit targets in the Ukrainian capital without any prior warning, and before air raid sirens could be sounded.
Ukraine relies on American satellite systems to track Russian missiles, with the aim of issuing warnings and trying to shoot them down.
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that 902 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the night over a number of Russian regions, including the capital, Moscow, as well as over the southern Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
