Why is Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine?

Starlink satellites operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX provide high-speed internet – something modern war relies heavily on.

Key points

• Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow at present controls regarding 20% of Ukrainian territory.
• Serhiy Beskrestnov additionally stated authorities had not been informed regarding the 100mph (160km/h) speed limits set overnight on Tuesday by Elon Musk's SpaceX business.
• The speed restrictions "effectively preclude" anything connected to the network going above 100mph, Whittington remarked, making drone navigation challenging within Ukraine and Russian-occupied territory inside Ukraine.
• Shaheds fly at speeds in excess of 198mph, meaning SpaceX's restriction makes Ukrainian efforts to chase them down all but impossible.
• President Trump has criticised Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries and pressed a new leader – criticisms which have been echoed by Elon Musk.

Kyiv has adopted it as a vital battlefield communications tool and additionally uses it in drone warfare.

Using Starlink, Ukrainian drones are able to maintain stronger connections with operators over longer distances than conventional radio networks and are less vulnerable to jamming.

But a sudden speed restriction for drones connected to Starlink means some battlefield "missions" have been disrupted, according to a top Ukrainian official.

Throttling drones connected to the network at this relatively low speed makes Ukrainian efforts to intercept jet-powered Russian drones all but useless, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Starlink is "the backbone of military communications in Ukraine", the institute's George Barros notes, and is employed throughout Kyiv's naval, land, and air forces.

Barros, who is the ISW's Director of Innovation and Open Source Tradecraft informed the BBC that the restrictions could have major implications as the technology allows "drones, artillery and command posts to function as a single real-time network where the time between sensor-to-shooter is minimized."

Starlink does not work inside Russia, but Ukrainian drones can employ the satellites to communicate back to their operators during strikes. There is no ready replacement for the network.

Starlink-enabled interceptors are additionally among Ukraine's most effective solution against jet-powered Russian Shahed drones, he stated.

Tom Whittington, electronic warfare expert and associate fellow at RUSI, informed BBC Radio 4's PM programme that the satellite system allows Ukraine to move substantial amounts of data – like video, text and voice calls – in a similar way that smartphones do but without the infrastructure that phones need.

Meanwhile, the speed restrictions "effectively preclude" anything connected to the network going above 100mph, Whittington remarked, making drone navigation challenging within Ukraine and Russian-occupied territory inside Ukraine.

Serhiy Beskrestnov – Zelensky's adviser – notes he believes the restrictions are not a coincidence and are related to the latest strains between Kyiv and Washington.

Ukraine's complaint regarding the restrictions has drawn attention to both Starlink, and Starshield – a military-grade version of the network developed for the Pentagon by SpaceX.

Musk notes the two systems are separate, but in numerous cases they share the same underlying satellite technology.

And in a post on X, external, Musk suggested the US administration could be responsible for the slowdown afflicting Ukrainian usage of the technology.

Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, he wrote. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.

"Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. As doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial business.", usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be applied for offensive military action.

SpaceX's satellite communications have proved vital to both armies during the four-year war, including a Russian attack on a moving passenger train, but earlier this year Musk cut the employ of Starlink terminals for Russian forces in a move that blunted Moscow's advance in Ukraine and caused confusion among Russian commanders.

In short, why is Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine? Is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.