Elon Musk said Wednesday that any restrictions on Ukraine’s military-grade satellite internet are decided by the U.S. military and “ultimately POTUS,” shifting responsibility to President Donald Trump after a sudden speed cap on Starlink and Starshield terminals disrupted Ukrainian drone and air-defense operations in the middle of a heavy Russian bombardment.
The dispute has turned a technical limit into a test of Washington’s commitment to Kyiv, coming days after the Trump administration warned it could curtail intelligence sharing if Ukraine did not halt long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities.
A 100 mph ceiling, imposed without warning
Ukrainian officials said that on Tuesday night terminals in motion began losing connectivity once they exceeded roughly 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), effectively cutting the link to fast-moving interceptor drones, mid-range strike drones, aircraft and helicopters. Ukraine’s armed forces learned of the change from SpaceX customer support after filing a complaint about operational problems, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, and received no advance notice.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky on defense technology, said the same restriction applied to Starshield, the military version of the network. “It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation,” he wrote on Telegram.
Musk responded on X that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government,” adding that commercial Starlink service is limited to civilian or defensive use and “cannot be used for offensive military action.” Two U.S. officials told CNN, however, that limiting Ukraine’s access was not a high-level policy decision. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately explain who ordered the change.
Partial restoration, but Kyiv wants the cap lifted
By early Thursday in Ukraine, some service appeared to have been restored. Mykhailo Fedorov, the former defense minister, thanked Musk for restoring connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour but said that “removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense.” Ukraine’s current arrangement for the service was contracted through the U.S. government until mid-May 2027, according to CNN.
Zelensky called the slowdown a “big mistake.” “People will die, of course, if attacks will continue and if Starlink will not work,” he said, adding that Russian forces were trying to exploit the disruption because Ukraine’s interceptor drones rely on the network.
Strikes, a contested ceasefire and a diesel deal
The outage coincided with one of the largest Russian assaults of recent weeks. Moscow launched more than 120 drones and 39 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight into Wednesday, targeting energy facilities and leaving more than 600,000 people without power, Zelensky said. Local officials reported at least 10 people killed.
Zelensky said Ukraine received no early warning from partners before a deadly ballistic missile strike on a Kyiv power plant late Tuesday. Trump said that day that the U.S. was still sharing intelligence. “We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end,” he said.
The strains extend beyond the battlefield. Trump announced a surprise “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday that the Kremlin has yet to confirm, and Washington separately agreed to import Russian diesel. Asked in London whether he felt betrayed, Zelensky said, “Really yes… but it’s a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings.” He met Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles during the visit and said Ukraine still counts on partnership with the United States.
Musk himself criticized the Ukrainian leader over the weekend, writing that “Zelensky has gone too far” with strikes on Russian fuel facilities. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “carefully noting” reports of shifts in U.S. support for Kyiv but that it was too early to draw conclusions.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it is in contact with the U.S. government, SpaceX and NATO allies and is testing backup communication channels while it seeks a full reversal.
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