In brief
Elon Musk has confirmed that any restrictions imposed on Ukraine's use of Starlink are governed by the U.S. Army and President, not SpaceX. The U.S. has temporarily lowered Starlink’s speed limit to 100mph, cutting off fast‑moving weapons from the network and hampering Kyiv’s drone missions. Ukrainian officials warned the limits were a political tactic amid strained U.S.-Ukraine relations. Although the speed limit was eased by Wednesday evening, Ukraine remains wary that further cuts could jeopardise its defence capabilities. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of Ukraine’s actions, adding further diplomatic tension.
Elon Musk has stated that the United States, not his company SpaceX, sets any limits on Ukraine’s Starlink usage and speed.
On Tuesday night, Ukraine reported that Starlink had imposed a speed cap of 100mph (160km/h) on its network, which meant weapons traveling faster than that threshold lost connectivity. The restriction disrupted the country’s ability to guide drones to Russian targets and protect its airspace.
Musk replied to Ukrainian demands for full network access with a post on X, explaining that Starshield, the military‑grade service linked to Starlink, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
Ukraine’s former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk for partial restoration of the service and urged the removal of the speed limit to protect national defence. Musk defended his company’s role, noting that Starlink is intended for civilian and defensive use and it is inappropriate for offensive military action.
The new limits surfaced amid fresh Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including energy facilities, which left several hundred thousand people without electricity and created critical communication challenges for troops on the ground.
The U.S. government has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the restrictions, and the situation remains a point of diplomatic tension between Kyiv and Washington. A further tightening of Starlink limits could severely compromise Ukraine’s ability to conduct aerial operations during the ongoing conflict.
