\"Our relief didn't last long,\" Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Thursday. The military technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the speed restriction had been imposed again. Helicopters pursuing Russian attack drones were once again experiencing connection problems, he said. Fast-moving interceptors were affected as well. According to Ukrainian findings, the throttling took effect on Monday, November 9. On Friday, November 13, Zelensky himself spoke out. The restrictions were being enforced primarily along the front line and over Russian-occupied territory. That affects strikes against Russian positions as well as certain air defense operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The physics of this war has changed. Russia is now equipping its Shahed drones with jet engines, and Ukraine is building its own interceptors to counter these faster aircraft. A speed limit of 100 miles per hour can prevent those interceptors from doing their job. A hunter forced to move slower than its prey can only watch. Zelensky has already reported Russian strikes getting through because Ukrainian air defenses couldn't reach their targets fast enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He put the Foreign Ministry and defense minister to work. They were instructed to demand immediate explanations from the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon, and SpaceX. Zelensky sees another danger, quieter and deeper. If restrictions are deliberately imposed over occupied territory, that could amount to partial political recognition of Russia's occupation. A satellite that communicates differently over occupied land than over free territory draws a border no treaty ever established. A technical setting becomes a question of sovereignty. The latest restrictions do not apply across the entire country, however. Air defense operations over Kyiv, far from the front line, are not necessarily affected. That distinction offers little comfort to soldiers in the occupied territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SpaceX denies imposing any new restrictions this week. The Pentagon merely said it was looking into the matter. And the man whose company built the technology is packing his bags. Elon Musk will accompany Donald Trump on his trip to China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cut. Flashback to October<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Between October 13 and 24, Ukraine's satellite connections suffered major disruptions once before. Drones lost contact with their controllers in the middle of missions, and some simply fell out of the sky. Strikes against Russian troops in occupied territory were disrupted, and shooting down Russian Shaheds became more difficult. During those days, Russia launched nearly 4,000 attacks on Ukraine. American personnel in Kyiv struggled to reach their shelters in time during air raids. Congressional staff witnessed the effects of the disruptions firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the center of it all is Starshield. Musk's aerospace company SpaceX developed the system for military and government security purposes, using the Starlink satellite network as its foundation. Ukraine primarily uses Starlink for communications. Starshield can do more, including guiding military drones. The military system is controlled by the U.S. government. The Pentagon has poured billions into these services and purchased its own satellites for missile early warning. American intelligence agencies also use a specially developed satellite constellation. A system built to protect a country ought to have someone in charge. Here, several people suddenly seemed to be fighting over control, or perhaps nobody was in charge at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n October was a month of pressure. Trump demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Zelensky heard that demand in language that needed no diplomatic polish: He had better \"damn well stop.\" The White House posted a video of the remarks, and Musk followed up with his own comment: \"Zelensky has gone too far.\" Washington blamed Ukrainian attacks for rising energy prices that were hurting Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Experts saw the main cause elsewhere, in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Iranian attacks on energy facilities had severely disrupted international oil markets, and the Strait of Hormuz was largely blocked. America's own war was driving up prices. The bill was sent to Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Donald Trump said of Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries: \"We told Zelensky, 'You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don't hit the refineries because that's a world problem.' And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. He better damn well stop.\" Elon Musk then backed Trump's call to replace Zelensky, writing: \"Zelensky has gone too far.\" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha pushed back sharply, saying that only Ukrainian voters had the legal and sovereign right to determine who governs their country, even during wartime.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Miami, October 9. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff put Ukrainian representatives under pressure. Washington was frustrated that Ukraine kept attacking Russian refineries despite repeated demands from the administration to stop, they told them. European representatives and World Bank officials were also at the table. The Americans used the occasion to present an agreement with Moscow. More than 2.25 million barrels of Russian diesel were to enter international markets. Washington hoped this would make Putin more accommodating in peace negotiations. American lawmakers took a less charitable view. The deal would give Putin additional revenue for his war without requiring him to make a single concession. You pay the arsonist to get him thinking about putting out the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zelensky called the diesel agreement weak. Trump then demanded elections in Ukraine and Zelensky's removal from office. Behind closed doors, American officials also threatened to stop sharing intelligence about Russian missile launches. That intelligence is crucial to Ukraine's air defenses. Trump later assured everyone that the United States would continue sharing the information. In the meantime, a limited ceasefire covering attacks on energy facilities was reached. Ukraine resumed its strikes on Russian refineries in late October. By now, those attacks have knocked out almost a third of Russia's refining capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the Satellites? Who Hit the Brakes in October?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two American officials and a Western government official confirmed that the order to throttle Starshield had come from the White House. Pentagon leadership had received a corresponding message. Who made the decision remained unclear. A senior administration official explicitly denied that Trump personally had issued such an order. A Ukrainian government official, however, reported that Kyiv had been told the decision came from the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the blame game began. Musk pointed out that Starshield was under government control, so any restrictions had to be authorized by the military or the president. Trump said he had not ordered any throttling and didn't believe Musk was responsible either. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called reports of a White House order \"categorically false.\" SpaceX told Congress that nothing had been changed on Starshield. Starlink had been restricted, the company said, because Ukrainian forces had violated its terms of service by using the system for offensive military aviation missions. Ukraine rejected the accusation. Everyone involved pointed at someone else, and the circle closed without a culprit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kaizen-blog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/batch_Kopie-von-Kopie-von-Kopie-von-kaizennewsday1138.webp?ssl=1\")
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