160 km/h: The speed cap Carney says blinds Ukraine to fast attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his country has been unable to track drones and missiles traveling faster than 160 kilometres per hour since satellite access restrictions began. Prime Minister Mark Carney cited this specific speed limit on Friday in Istanbul, arguing that the loss of tracking capability is a direct cause of recent civilian casualties in Kyiv.

Carney said the restrictions on access to Starshield, the military version of Starlink, are costing lives. He described the decision to limit access as a move against a nation fighting for the lives of its citizens against naked aggression. Carney noted that he was searching for the right adjective to describe the judgment of those who made the call, concluding that Canada is concerned.

Ukrainian officials reported losing part of their Starshield access early last week. The system allows Ukraine to track incoming threats and guide interceptor and spy drones. Starlink, the commercial system also owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, handles internal communications. Zelenskyy explained that the speed cap complicates efforts to repel Russian missile and jet drone attacks, resulting in the deaths of civilians, including children.

Responsibility for the restriction is disputed. Reuters reported last week, citing two U.S. officials, that the order came from the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Musk ordered the cut personally. Musk has stated that Starshield is owned by the U.S. government and that the U.S. military and President Donald Trump decide on restrictions. Trump denied ordering the curbs on Friday, saying he does not know who did.

Carney pointed to an attack in central Kyiv within the previous 36 hours as evidence of the impact. He called the strike a direct hit on citizens with no military target, causing immense human suffering. He said it appears clear that the restrictions have real human consequences and that some recent deaths are direct casualties of the reduced ability to track fast-moving objects.

The status of the access remains contradictory. Trump said on Thursday that Musk had restored Ukraine’s access. Zelenskyy contradicted this in a CNN interview, stating that the system still does not work. Ukrainian military officials confirmed on Friday that the restrictions remain in place. In an NBC interview on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s leaders believe the U.S. government sent a message to limit speed, which SpaceX carried out technically.

The restrictions coincide with a low point in relations between Kyiv and Washington. Trump is pushing Ukraine to accept stronger concessions in a peace deal. He has also pressed Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukraine does not use Starshield for those specific strikes because the system does not operate over Russian territory.

Carney used the situation to discuss Canada’s own reliance on foreign systems. Without naming Trump, he said relying on an ally that may change its view puts Canadians at risk. He said Canada must diversify and build sovereign capabilities, a process that will take time because the country is highly reliant on systems in certain countries.

Zelenskyy is working to reduce Ukraine’s dependence on the U.S. network. On Thursday, he signed a letter of intent with Finnish companies Nokia and ICEYE to develop a Ukrainian satellite communications network.