What to know about Starshield, SpaceX's military-focused Starlink service

Key points

• Ukraine says SpaceX restricted Starshield service, disrupting military operations and civilian protection.
• Musk says Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and president.
• Ukraine reports Starlink restored for terminals up to 160 km/h, but wants the Starshield speed limit removed.

Ukraine has accused SpaceX-owned Starlink of restricting its military-grade Starshield service as Russia intensified attacks on Kyiv this week. Ukrainian officials said the restrictions were imposed without advance notice, disrupting military operations and hampering efforts to protect civilians.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to shift responsibility for any changes to Starshield's use in Ukraine to the U.S. government and President Donald Trump. He said Starshield systems are owned and controlled by Washington, with the U.S. military and ultimately the president determining any limits on their use. The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately reply to CNBC's request for comment.

What Ukraine reported

Ukrainian officials reported Tuesday that their Starlink communication systems were no longer working for terminals moving at speeds above 100 miles per hour, or about 160 kilometers per hour. Ukraine relies on this connectivity to track and intercept incoming threats.

Speaking to Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "Starlink was switched off." He said connectivity was cut off in the middle of the night, disrupting Ukrainian drones used to intercept Russian attacks. He said the restrictions prevented Ukraine from intercepting some Russian drones, contributing to civilian deaths, and he criticized the lack of advance warnings about incoming Russian ballistic missiles.

Starlink was switched off.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy

What Starshield is

Starshield is SpaceX's satellite network designed for government and national security use, building on technology developed for Starlink. Unlike Starlink, which serves consumers and businesses, Starshield offers enhanced security features, including high-assurance cryptographic capability for classified information. It focuses on Earth observation, secure global communications for government users, and hosted payloads.

Starshield relies on Starlink's satellite network to operate. SpaceX said it was awarded over $6 billion in multi-year U.S. government contracts for Starshield, mainly from two Space Force contracts. Musk distinguished Starshield from commercial Starlink, which he said was restricted to civilian and defensive purposes and could not be used for offensive military operations.

Restoration and remaining concerns

Mykhailo Fedorov, who was until recently Ukraine's defense minister, said Wednesday that Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h was being restored. He said "removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense."