Zelensky says Starshield limits weaken Ukraine’s drone defenses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says restrictions on the military Starshield satellite system are preventing Ukrainian forces from intercepting some Russian Shahed drones before they reach energy infrastructure and other targets. He says terminals along the front line and in Russian-occupied areas are capped at about 161 kilometers per hour, forcing Ukraine to rely on later lines of defense and giving Russia more opportunities to strike. Zelenskyy has described the disruptions as widespread and raised concern that limits in occupied territory carry implications for Ukraine’s sovereignty. SpaceX denies imposing new restrictions and has characterized the problem as technical; responsibility for the limits remains unclear, with Zelenskyy citing differing accounts of whether the system is controlled by the company or the U.S. government.