Elon Musk wrote on X that any limits on the speed or usage of Starshield, the military‑grade sister service to Starlink, are decided by the US military and ultimately the US president. The claim comes after Ukraine reported that new speed limits were imposed on Tuesday night, reducing the maximum speed to 100 mph (160 km/h) and cutting off connectivity for weapons that exceeded that threshold.
Ukraine’s former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the restrictions had been partially restored by Wednesday evening, and that removing the speed limit entirely was now critical for the country’s defence. He thanked Musk and urged continued support.
Musk defended his company’s role, stating that Starlink is for civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, while noting that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government. The restrictions came amid Russian attacks that killed civilians in Kyiv and disrupted communications and energy facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said the limits were not a coincidence and were related to the current political situation between Kyiv and Washington. The US has been under pressure from Ukraine over its energy policy, but President Donald Trump denied threatening to restrict intelligence sharing.
As Ukraine continues to use Starlink to guide drones to Russian targets, the debate over who controls the speed limits highlights the complex relationship between technology providers and military use. The situation remains fluid, with Ukraine seeking full restoration of connectivity for its defence operations.
