Elon Musk says Trump is 'ultimately' responsible for any curbs on Ukraine's Starshield systems
"Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," Musk wrote.
Key points
- Elon Musk said the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are ultimately responsible for any limits on Ukraine's Starshield network.
- Ukraine accused SpaceX of imposing a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion without notifying its defense forces, disrupting military missions.
- Some restrictions were partially lifted, with Starlink connectivity restored at speeds up to 160 kilometers an hour.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are ultimately responsible for any curbs on Ukraine's military-grade Starshield network. Writing on X, Musk said Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.
Ukraine had accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on the Starshield internet service without warning, disrupting Ukrainian military operations during fresh Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
What Ukrainian officials said
Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, said Wednesday that SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion without notifying Ukraine's defense forces. He said this disrupted some missions and that the same restrictions applied to Starshield. Starlink is used to operate Ukraine's interceptor drones, which Beskrestnov called the most effective solution against Russia's Shahed drones.
Musk said Starshield is a military-grade satellite network, while Starlink is only meant for civilian or defensive activities.
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.
— Elon Musk
Restrictions partially lifted
Some restrictions appear to have been partially lifted. Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk early Thursday morning, saying Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour had been restored. Fedorov added that removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense.
The developments come amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington over an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia announced by Trump. Ukraine has welcomed a deal subject to Moscow honoring its commitment, while Russian authorities said talks were ongoing without confirming an agreement. On Monday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of breaching the ceasefire. Washington has threatened to cut intelligence sharing with Kyiv, Reuters reported Wednesday, while Ukrainian officials said a day earlier they had not received warnings of Russian attacks for two straight days.
