On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Zelensky said in London that Russia was trying to exploit the problems with Starlink and was carrying out one of its largest attacks (NV, RBC-Ukraine, TSN, Kyiv Post). This concerns a speed limit for drones that operate through the satellite system: according to NV’s sources in the Defense Ministry it stood at 161 km/h, and Fedorov reported a partial restoration to 160 km/h. Musk replied to a request to lift the limits on Starshield that the final decision rests with the US president (NV, UNIAN, TSN, BBC); Axios writes that the White House has nothing to do with the restrictions, and Ukrainian officials doubt this. On Thursday Musk urged Zelensky to step down (AFP, Kyiv Post); Zelensky had replied earlier that he does not intend to resign. On the night before Thursday Russia launched two missiles and 580 drones; 536 drones were neutralized (Ukrainska Pravda, NV). In Kropyvnytskyi three people were killed and six wounded, in the Dnipropetrovsk region two were killed, and part of Rivne was left without power.
Communications for drones and air defense mean speed of reaction. If the limit really reduces the ability to intercept jet-powered “Shaheds,” it directly affects the defense of cities. Besides, the question of who makes such a decision has become part of a political dispute between Kyiv, Washington and Musk.
There are no practical changes for you: when the alert sounds, go to shelter at once, especially at night. Do not believe unconfirmed “traces” or schemes about who exactly pressed the button: neither Musk nor the White House has provided documents.
Restricting communications during a massive attack is dangerous, and Kyiv should demand a direct answer on who makes the decision: Musk, the Pentagon or the White House.
A link between the limit and the force of the night strike is not proven: “Flash” believes that the attack with gasoline-powered “Shaheds” is not connected with the restrictions, and public accusations can only complicate dialogue with the US.
What to check in the coming days: whether any US official or SpaceX confirms who exactly sets the limit; whether the restoration of Starshield service holds; and whether the speed limit for drones disappears. For now we have contradictory statements and not a single document, so we do not name the cause of the restrictions.
NV, RBC-Ukraine, TSN, UNIAN, Censor.NET, Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, BBC, AFP, CNBC, Quartz, Axios, Reuters, The Record (Oct. 14–15, 2026)
Starlink and Starshield: Musk blames Washington, the White House denies it, and Russia launched 580 drones and two missiles overnight
Zelensky says Russia took advantage of the communications disruptions for a massive attack. A military expert with the callsign “Flash” sees no link. On Thursday Musk urged Zelensky to step down.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Zelensky said in London that Russia was trying to exploit the problems with Starlink in Ukraine and was carrying out one of its largest attacks (NV, RBC-Ukraine, TSN, Kyiv Post). This concerns a limit on the speed at which drones that operate through the satellite system can fly. According to NV’s sources in the Defense Ministry, the limit stayed at 161 km/h that day (NV, Censor.NET). Mykhailo Fedorov, the former defense minister, reported a partial restoration of service at speeds of up to 160 km/h (NV, Ukrainska Pravda, Censor.NET). According to UNIAN, Ukraine needs a limit of up to 450 km/h, but this is a figure from the media, and our sources contain no confirmation from the authorities. Zelensky called the restriction a big mistake that would cost lives (Censor.NET, Ukrainska Pravda, RBC-Ukraine).
Who exactly set the limit is still disputed. When Fedorov asked for the restrictions on Starshield, the military version of Starlink, to be lifted, Musk replied that the final decision rests with the US president (NV, RBC-Ukraine, UNIAN, TSN, BBC). Later, according to CNBC and Quartz, he said that the US government controls the limits. Axios, citing the White House, writes that the administration has nothing to do with the restrictions and does not run SpaceX, and Ukrainian officials doubt this (NV, TSN, Censor.NET, RBC-Ukraine). On Thursday, Oct. 15, Musk urged Zelensky to leave office (AFP, Kyiv Post, Straits Times, Dawn). Zelensky had replied earlier that neither Trump, nor Musk, nor anyone else can choose Ukraine’s president (UNIAN), and that he does not intend to resign (Censor.NET, TSN, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia). According to The Record, Kyiv later reported that Starshield service had been restored. In the US Congress, a caucus of lawmakers supporting Ukraine spoke out against the restrictions on intelligence and on Starlink’s operation (NV, Censor.NET), and one senator appealed to Musk (Censor.NET).
The Russian strike was large. On the night before Thursday Russia launched two missiles and 580 drones; the Ukrainian military neutralized 536 drones (Ukrainska Pravda, NV, Kyiv Independent). Kropyvnytskyi had it hardest: for more than ten hours the city and the region were under attack, three people were killed and six wounded (Ukrainska Pravda, RBC-Ukraine, UNIAN, Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post). In the Dnipropetrovsk region two people were killed and private houses burned (TSN, NV, Censor.NET). In Rivne part of the city and district was left without power (RBC-Ukraine, NV, Channel 24). Earlier, on Wednesday evening, a Russian strike damaged a high-rise in Odesa (Censor.NET, Ukrainska Pravda, TSN).
The parties interpret differently whether the limit and the force of the strike are connected. A source of RBC-Ukraine says that interceptors cannot keep up with jet-powered “Shaheds” because of the speed restriction. “Flash,” according to NV, believes that the massive attack with gasoline-powered “Shaheds” is not connected with the restrictions. We have seen no independent assessment. Reuters writes that Europe has no quick replacement; the EU has begun talking about the Govsatcom satellite system (TSN), and UNIAN names 2029 as the earliest date for replacing Starlink with a European alternative.
What this means. Drones and air defense now depend on communications, and even slower communications mean less time to react. Responsibility for the limit is named only in statements: Musk points to the US president, the White House to SpaceX, and there is as yet no document that would confirm it. For readers nothing changes: during alerts go to shelter at once, especially at night, because jet-powered drones reach even the west of the country.