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When the Ukrainian military used the US-funded Star Shield satellite network to conduct drone strikes, it was suddenly subject to speed restrictions, leading to several accidents and was suspended for three days. Ukraine questioned political pressure from the United States.
The New York Times reported,ukraine The army took action last weekRussia OfFreelancer During the attack mission, the “Starshield” military satellite network funded by the US Department of Defense suddenly encountered speed limits, causing dozens of armed drones to lose contact and many directly fell from the sky. This caused the Ukrainian army to lose more than US$1 million in weapons and equipment, and even forced it to suspend almost all military operations for three days. The commander of the Ukrainian army said that the soldiers were terrified at the time of the incident and rushed to save the drone which was out of control. He clearly stated that he felt abandoned by the United States.
Oleh, a senior Ukrainian commander, recalled that dozens of weapons-carrying drones under his command were flying toward Russian targets last week. Images of the flight path that were transmitted back normally suddenly became blurry at that very moment. After this, the drones lost satellite connection with ground operators and many crashed.
Olekh told that at that time his three mobile phones kept ringing and on the other side of the phone stood shocked and abusive soldiers. Everyone was eager to readjust the drone’s path and try to save the equipment. However, this sudden disconnection caused heavy losses to the troops and they were forced to suspend almost all military operations for the next three days, including attacks on Russian command posts and fuel supply centers. He acknowledged that soldiers felt abandoned and believed that Ukraine should have removed its filter and no longer considered the United States an ally.
Starshield is the military companion system to Elon Musk’s Starlink, and European countries pay for its use in Ukraine. Many Ukrainian soldiers rely on Star Shield to control drones. Ukrainian officials reported that while the Star Shield was initially subject to speed restrictions, the drone would disconnect even if it was flying at a speed of 64 kilometers per hour. Although the current connection status has improved, it has not returned to the previous state of use. As long as the drone’s flight speed exceeds 161 kilometers per hour, the connection will still be broken, making some attack drones that need to fly at high speed unable to complete their missions normally.
Brigadier General Andrey Biletsky, commander of the “Central Force Group” in eastern Ukraine, explained that in the past, Ukrainian drones could maintain a stable connection through Star Shield even if they flew at a speed of 402 kilometers per hour, but now they are subject to speed restrictions. In fact, Star Shield originally had an official speed limit of 161 kilometers per hour, but it was not strictly enforced in the past. He warned that the ban not only impacts the Ukrainian military’s ability to attack Russian targets, but also hinders the interception of fast Russian jet-powered drones, “directly undermining the Ukrainian military’s ability to defend the city.”
Yuri Butusov, commander of the 23rd Ukrainian Commando Regiment, also said that speed limits on satellite connections were equivalent to giving the Russian military a day off. He said helplessly: “Without Starlink on this day, Russia saved many lives and many trucks.” He also emphasized that the Ukrainian military has paid a high price for this, “and there is more blood in it. Our blood.”
In Ukraine it is still unclear who ordered the speed limit and what were the reasons behind it. Musk has said that Star Shield is controlled by the US Department of Defense, but Secretary of State Rubio said on the 21st that the use rights of Star Link and Star Shield are determined by Musk’s SpaceX. Ukraine is concerned that the Trump administration could use it to punish Ukraine for attacking Russian oil refineries and force Kiev to make concessions. Concerned that the satellite network will be disrupted again, the Ukrainian military is actively exploring alternatives.
Summary FAQ
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The report reported that when the Ukrainian military attacked Russian drones last week, the Star Shield satellite network was suddenly limited in speed, causing dozens of armed drones to lose satellite connections, many falling directly from the sky, and tactical deployments were disrupted.
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The incident caused the Ukrainian military to lose more than US$1 million in weapons and equipment, and was forced to suspend almost all military operations for three days, including a planned attack on a Russian military command post and fuel supply center.
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Ukraine still does not know who ordered the speed limit, but it is worried that the United States could use it to punish Ukraine for attacking Russian oil refineries and force Kiev to make concessions, so it is actively looking for alternative communications solutions.
