Many units rely on it to operate drones while using standard Starlink connections for basic communications. Ukrainian officials have reported slowdowns affecting both Starshield and Starlink.

Musk has said that Starshield is controlled by the Pentagon. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added to the confusion when he said on Wednesday that SpaceX determined access to both Starlink and Starshield.

According to Ukrainian officials, the initial disruption caused drones to lose their connections at speeds as low as 40 miles per hour. Connectivity has since improved, but drones reportedly continue to lose their connections when travelling faster than 100 miles per hour.

While some drone models can operate at these lower speeds, others need to fly faster to hit their targets, the report said. The restrictions have also affected interceptor drones used to bring down Russian drones targeting Ukrainian cities, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is now looking for alternative ways to operate its drones, fearing that satellite connectivity could be restricted again or cut off entirely. Military commanders said the search for alternatives was diverting soldiers' attention from battlefield operations.

US denies deliberately restricting satellite servicesUkrainian officials have sought clarification on who ordered the reported restrictions on Starshield and Starlink and why. A White House official told The New York Times that there had been no changes to satellite internet services in Ukraine.

Trump also denied responsibility for any changes, saying on Friday that it “wasn’t me” and that “from what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.” Rubio said a day later that a Starlink slowdown in Ukraine had “sort of happened” but added that “my understanding is it’s been restored.”

On NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said that “President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that, and I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such a charge.” The issue has also drawn criticism from US lawmakers across party lines, with calls for the Trump administration to restore Ukraine's satellite connectivity.

After a group of lawmakers spoke with Zelenskyy over a video call on Monday, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said the Ukrainian president had “confirmed ongoing Starlink disruptions, reported interruptions to critical US intelligence sharing and raised concerns about delays in air-defense interceptors.” Tillis also criticised Washington's approach towards Moscow, saying: “Degrading Ukraine’s satellite communications, weakening its air defenses and easing sanctions against Russia only embolden Putin and prolong this war.”

He was referring to a move by Trump to allow the US to buy Russian diesel fuel. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he had a “substantive discussion” with Rubio about Starshield, shortages of missile interceptors and recent disruptions to early warning systems for Russian ballistic missile attacks.

Rubio rejected claims that the US had withheld warnings about Russian attacks on Ukraine, calling them “simply not accurate”. “Nothing is being deliberately denied to Ukraine,” Rubio said.

Ukrainian troops struggle to adapt to restrictionsDespite the conflicting statements from Washington, Ukrainian commanders said the effects of the reported restrictions were evident on the battlefield. Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who recently took command of thousands of troops in the Center Grouping of Forces in eastern Ukraine, said Ukrainian forces were adapting to the new speed limits.

Before the restrictions, Ukrainian drones using Starshield could fly at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour while maintaining a stable connection, Biletsky said. The formal speed limit had already been 100 miles per hour, but it had not been enforced, he added.

This could allow the US to maintain that the system's rules had not changed, even as Ukrainian forces experienced a significant impact on the battlefield, the report said. Biletsky said that even if Ukraine managed to modify its attack drones to operate within the speed limits, interceptor drones used against Russian jet-powered weapons would remain at a disadvantage.

These interceptors need to fly faster than incoming drones to bring them down. “Reducing the speed limits for air defense is a painful decision that literally undermines the protection of our cities, first and foremost,” Biletsky said.

“So when the Pentagon took this step, it was undoubtedly an unfriendly move toward Ukraine’s civilian population.” Ukrainian commanders told The New York Times that they believed the restrictions were the result of a political decision rather than a technical problem.

They said troops had long feared that Washington could use satellite connectivity as leverage to push Kyiv into making concessions. Oleh recalled receiving a series of angry calls from soldiers as his drones fell from the sky last week.

Troops scrambled to redirect the drones and save as much equipment as possible. He said soldiers felt abandoned and argued that Ukraine should stop viewing the US as an ally.

Lieutenant Yuriy Butusov, a company commander with Ukraine's 23rd Assault Regiment in the Khartia Corps, said the slower connections had severely affected his troops' operations. “It’s a big cost for us,” he added.

“And much more blood. Our blood.”

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