‘Starshield Still Limited’ – Zelensky Says Ukraine Cannot Fully Intercept Russian Drones Despite Restoration Claims

Ukraine’s military satellite communications remain restricted, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour published Thursday, Oct. 22, warning that the limitations continue to undermine Ukraine’s ability to intercept fast-moving Russian attack drones. Separately, US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s satellite service, but declined to confirm whether he personally intervened to have the restrictions lifted.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “I guess the bottom line, he put it back,” Trump told reporters, responding to a Wall Street Journal report that he had called Musk and requested the restoration of the service. In the CNN interview, Zelensky described continuing restrictions on Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s satellite communications services used by Ukrainian forces. “Now it’s still limited,” Zelensky said. He explained that Ukraine had developed high-speed interceptor drones capable of destroying Russian jet-powered Shaheds, but the restrictions had severely reduced their operational capabilities. “When an Iranian drone goes with a speed of 450 or 500 kilometers per hour, and you limit [the speed] one night to 70 or even 100, you cannot intercept anything,” Zelensky said. “And this is terrible.” It was not immediately clear whether Zelensky’s interview was recorded before or after Trump’s announcement that the service had been restored. Other Topics of Interest ‘More Money Means More Dead Ukrainians’ – Kasparov Warns Against Deals With Moscow The Russian opposition leader says easing sanctions would strengthen Putin’s war machine and accuses Trump’s negotiators of pursuing business deals. ‘It means limiting our ability to defend ourselves’ Zelensky said Ukraine had developed an effective new method of intercepting Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, which can reach speeds of 400–500 kilometers per hour. The interceptors rely on satellite communications that remain connected while drones travel at high speeds. But Ukrainian forces experienced sudden restrictions that sharply reduced the maximum speed at which the equipment could maintain connectivity. The Ukrainian president said the limitations appeared overnight, disrupting operations that had become essential to protecting Ukrainian cities. Some restrictions were subsequently eased, allowing equipment to operate at somewhat higher speeds, but the original capabilities had not been fully restored. Zelensky stressed that the consequences were particularly serious because the restrictions affected defensive operations inside Ukraine. “That’s why it was strange they limited us in Ukraine,” he said. “It means limiting our ability to defend ourselves.” The president pointed out that Russia’s newer jet-powered Shaheds were being deployed against Ukrainian schools, universities, bridges, energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian officials have previously reported that satellite connections were being lost at speeds around 160 kilometers per hour, far below the requirements for some high-speed drone interceptors. Asked who ordered Starshield restrictions, Zelensky says he does not know Asked who was responsible for limiting Ukraine’s satellite communications, Zelensky said he did not know whether the decision originated with SpaceX or government institutions. “I don’t know,” he said. “Technically, I think SpaceX can do it. But whether the decision comes from them or from some institutions, I don’t know.” The question of responsibility has become increasingly contentious in Washington. Musk has said Starshield, the military-grade satellite service, is controlled by the US government, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained that Starlink is a commercial product whose operating decisions are made by SpaceX. Rubio has also said that Ukraine’s request for broader access to Starshield remains under discussion. The Pentagon has denied issuing instructions to slow the system. The conflicting accounts have left the cause of the restrictions unresolved, even as Ukrainian forces continue to report reduced capabilities. Zelensky: Ukraine does not use Starlink for strikes inside Russia Zelensky underscored that Ukraine does not use Starlink to strike Russian military or energy facilities inside Russia, drawing a distinction between those operations and the satellite communications needed to defend Ukrainian cities. “We don’t attack Russian military targets or energy targets using Starlink. Never,” he said. The president explained that Ukraine had previously requested additional satellite-supported capabilities to target Russian ballistic missile launchers, which threaten Ukrainian civilians. He argued that destroying those launchers could prevent further missile attacks, particularly when Ukraine lacks sufficient Patriot interceptors. However, Washington had not granted the requested access. “The Americans never gave us this,” Zelensky said. He emphasized that the current restrictions were affecting Ukraine’s defensive operations on its own territory rather than limiting strikes inside Russia. US ballistic missile warning intelligence restored after talks with Rubio Zelensky also confirmed that Ukraine’s access to critical early-warning intelligence about Russian ballistic missile launches had been restored following discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said Ukraine had experienced serious problems receiving warnings, leaving civilians without crucial information needed to reach shelters before incoming missiles struck. “We had real problems with intelligence,” Zelensky said. He explained that the missing information concerned Russian ballistic missile launches and was essential to protecting the civilian population. “We didn’t get this message. That’s why it was so dangerous for us.” Zelensky said he raised the matter directly with Rubio and requested the restoration of intelligence sharing. “Now intelligence works,” he confirmed. “Thanks to the secretary, thanks to Congress, thanks to the president. I don’t know who did it, but thanks. It came back.” Rubio has denied that the US ordered any interruption in intelligence sharing, saying American policy had not changed. ‘If you give something to Putin, he will want everything’ Zelensky also strongly opposed easing sanctions against Russia, warning that additional revenues would allow Moscow to finance its continuing invasion. His remarks followed disagreements over recent US decisions affecting Russian energy exports. The Ukrainian president emphasized that his concerns were not personal disagreements with Trump but reflected Ukraine’s security interests. “I think that if you lift sanctions, you make him stronger,” Zelensky said. He warned that concessions would not satisfy the Kremlin. “If you give something to Putin, he will need everything. He will want everything, and will not calm down before he has it all.” Zelensky argued that increasing Russian revenues would provide additional resources for Moscow’s military campaign. “And it will only give much more money for Putin for this war. And that’s why I’m against it.” He stressed that Ukraine’s position was not simply about the amount of land under Russian control. “For us, our land is very important. Because it’s about people. It’s not about kilometers,” he said. Zelensky noted that Ukrainians had sacrificed their lives defending the country’s sovereignty and independence. “Nobody will recognize these territories which are temporarily occupied as Russian territories,” he said. He said Ukraine was prepared to pursue negotiations aimed at stopping the killing, regardless of the terminology used. “We can call it ceasefire. We can call it stop the killings. We can call it freeze the conflict,” he said. “The only one thing what is important – not the name, the result.” Zelensky insisted that any discussion concerning Ukrainian territory must involve Ukraine directly and take place at the level of national leaders. “Putin is playing, you know. He’s a player,” Zelensky said. “It’s a pity because he plays with the lives of other people.” Despite the continuing Russian attacks, Zelensky described his recent meeting with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Oslo as productive. He expressed hope that further negotiations could produce progress toward ending the war. He warned that Moscow’s objective remained to destroy Ukraine’s infrastructure, undermine civilian morale and weaken the country’s ability to defend itself. ‘Don’t forget about us’ – Zelensky appeals for Patriots and full satellite access Zelensky closed the interview with an appeal for additional Patriot interceptor missiles and the restoration of satellite communications needed to defend Ukrainian cities. Acknowledging Washington’s focus on the Middle East, he stressed that Ukraine was not asking the US to abandon its other commitments. “We don’t want to compare. We’re just asking not to forget about us,” Zelensky said. Ukraine was prepared to pay for additional interceptors, he emphasized, but European-funded supplies remained insufficient to protect the country from Russian attacks. Despite the shortages and continuing restrictions, Zelensky vowed that Ukraine would keep fighting, regardless of whether its partners could immediately meet its requests. “We will do everything to bring peace closer, but we will not let Putin win this war.”