October 16, 2026
New technical restrictions were imposed on the Starlink satellite service, which cast a shadow over Ukrainian military operations, as Kiev forces were forced to cancel air missions for their drones following severe disturbances that affected network connectivity. These developments coincide with increasing American pressure to stop Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian oil refineries.
In detail, Ukrainian media reported that the security services had monitored night disturbances in the work of “Starlink” stations, which raised deep concerns about their impact on the communications infrastructure and field operations, especially since the network constitutes the main communications backbone for the Ukrainian army since the outbreak of the conflict.
The Clash Report website explained that the new restrictions reduced the maximum speed of drones capable of maintaining a reliable Internet connection to between 60 and 70 kilometers per hour. This defect affected the Ukrainian medium-range drones operating on the southern and eastern fronts.
The list of affected systems included the FB2, Darts, Hornet, and RAM2 aircraft, which Ukrainian forces rely on to strike Russian air defense systems, supply networks, and infrastructure in the Crimean Peninsula and border areas. The repercussions also extended to include interceptor drones designated to confront Russian “Shahed” drones.
On the political level, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed, in an interview with the American NPR radio station, that the administration of President Donald Trump threatened to cut off the exchange of intelligence information with Kiev, if the latter continued to target Russian oil refineries.
Until now, it is not known for sure reasons behind the restrictions imposed by Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, and whether they are linked to American pressure or whether they are temporary measures, which has sparked fears in Kiev that they may be imposed at Trump’s direct request, despite the absence of official confirmations.
In the face of these challenges, the Ukrainian forces are considering the possibility of resorting to alternative networks in the event that restrictions continue, including signal repeater stations and modems to create overlapping networks, but spreading such alternatives on a large scale requires time and additional financial investments.
It is noteworthy that the intelligence exchange file previously constituted a major point of tension between Washington and Kiev, as the United States had previously suspended this exchange for a short period in the spring of 2025, before resuming it later.
