Musk says US government controls any Starlink speed limits affecting Ukraine

Elon Musk has indicated that restrictions affecting the speed at which some Ukrainian weapons can stay connected to SpaceX's Starlink internet network may originate from the US government rather than his company.

Starlink has been a key tool for Ukraine, helping guide drones toward Russian targets and defend its airspace. On Tuesday night, Ukraine reported unexpected new speed limits that were interfering with battlefield operations.

An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested the restrictions were unlikely to be coincidental, linking them to recent tensions between Kyiv and Washington.

Musk explained that Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, is under US government control, meaning decisions about speed or usage limits rest with the US military and ultimately the US president. His comments came after Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, appealed for connectivity to be restored, with Zelensky expressing hope that the disruption was an error or technical issue rather than a deliberate move.

Starlink had reduced speed limits to 100mph (160km/h) on Tuesday night, cutting off connectivity for any weapons travelling faster than that threshold. By Wednesday evening, Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the service had been partially restored.

Fedorov described the complete removal of Starshield's speed restriction as now essential for Ukraine's defence efforts, thanking Musk and requesting his continued backing.