WASHINGTON — SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump and his administration were responsible for any curbs on Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink network.
The Starlink network is a vital tool allowing Kyiv to guide drones to Russian targets and also protect its own skies, but on Tuesday night Ukraine said unexpected new speed limits were disrupting its battlefield missions.
Writing on X, Musk said that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
Starshield is a military-grade satellite network, while Starlink is only meant for “civilian or defensive activities,” Musk said.
Musk added that Starlink, owned by SpaceX, is for “civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company”.
He was responding to pleas from Ukrainian officials to restore connectivity.
Ukraine had accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on the Starshield internet service without warning, leading to disruptions to Ukrainian military operations amid fresh Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
The restrictions on Tuesday night came as Russia launched deadly attacks against Ukraine that killed several people in Kyiv, officials said, and hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine’s military.
Zelensky said it was “one of the largest attacks” from Russia, and while “a significant part of the drones were shot down” there were “also hits”.
At least 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity, and residents said they received no warning of incoming drones before they hit.
On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on defense technology, said SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion, without notifying the country’s defense forces.
That had disrupted some missions, and the same restrictions also applied to Starshield, he said on Telegram. Starlink is used to operate Ukraine’s interceptor drones, the “most effective solution” against Moscow’s Shahed drones, Beskrestnov said.
“It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation,” Beskrestnov wrote on Wednesday morning.
Some restrictions appear to have been partially lifted, with former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanking Musk early Thursday morning that Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour had been restored. “Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense,” Fedorov added.
The developments come amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington over an “energy ceasefire,” between Ukraine and Russia announced by President Trump.
Ukraine has, however, welcomed a deal subject to Moscow honoring its commitment, while Russian authorities said talks were ongoing, without confirming whether they had reached an agreement.
Trump had also taken aim at Ukraine as it continues to strike Russian energy facilities, saying that Kyiv’s attacks were responsible for the increase in diesel prices, instead of the US war with Iran.
Washington has threatened to cut intelligence sharing with Kyiv, Reuters reported Wednesday, while Ukrainian officials said a day earlier that they have not received warnings of Russian attacks on the country for two straight days.
In the early hours of Thursday, Russian strikes killed two people in the Dnipropetrovsk region, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said.
Source: Saudi Gazette