Why Starlink internet matters so much on the battlefield in Ukraine
Speed limits introduced by SpaceX on its Starlink satellite internet are complicating the operation of Ukrainian drones and artillery. Experts say the network has no ready replacement.
Speed restrictions on the Starlink satellite internet service, run by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, are creating problems for Ukraine's military, which uses the network across its naval, land and air forces. According to experts, the limits could significantly affect Ukraine's ability to defend itself in the war with Russia, now in its fourth year.
Why the network matters
George Barros, Director of Innovation and Open Source Tradecraft at the US think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), told the BBC that Starlink is "the backbone of military communications in Ukraine". He said the technology lets drones, artillery and command posts work as a single real-time network, keeping the time between spotting a target and striking it to a minimum.
Starlink does not work inside Russia, but Ukrainian drones can use the satellites to communicate with their operators during strikes. There is no ready replacement for the network. Starlink-equipped interceptors are among Ukraine's most effective answers to jet-powered Russian Shahed drones, which fly at more than 198mph. The speed restriction makes chasing them down all but impossible.
Tom Whittington, an electronic warfare expert and associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explained that the system lets Ukraine move large amounts of data, such as video, text and voice calls, much as smartphones do, but without the infrastructure phones require. The restrictions effectively prevent anything connected to the network from exceeding 100mph, making drone navigation difficult in Ukraine and in Russian-occupied areas.
Political background
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, believes the restrictions are no coincidence and are linked to the latest strains between Kyiv and Washington. US President Donald Trump has criticised Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries and called for a new leader, criticism echoed by Musk.
Ukraine's complaint has drawn attention to both Starlink and Starshield, a military-grade version of the network developed for the Pentagon. Musk says the two systems are separate, though in many cases they share the same underlying satellite technology. In a post on X, he said Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government, and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Starlink, he said, is a commercial service limited to civilian or defensive use.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. SpaceX's communications have proved vital to both armies, but earlier this year Musk cut Russian forces' use of Starlink terminals, which blunted Moscow's advance and confused Russian commanders.
