SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump was responsible for any curbs on Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink network.
Writing on X, Musk said that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
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.
On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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.
Starshield is a military-grade satellite network, while Starlink is only meant for “civilian or defensive activities,” Musk said.
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 U.S. President Donald 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. On Monday, Zelenskyy accused the Russians of breaching the ceasefire.
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 U.S.’ 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.
— CNBC’s Elsa Olhen contributed to this report.