SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that the US government and President Donald Trump were responsible for any restrictions on Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink network. Writing in X, Musk said that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any speed limits or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the POTUS.” Ukraine had accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on Starshield internet service without warning, causing disruptions to Ukrainian military operations amid new Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure. On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, said SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on moving Starlink terminals, without notifying the country’s defense forces. That had disrupted some missions and the same restrictions also applied to Starshield, he said on Telegram. Starlink is used to operate Ukraine’s interceptor drones, the “most effective solution” against Moscow’s Shahed drones, Beskrestnov said. Starshield is a military-grade satellite network, while Starlink is only intended for “civil or defensive activities,” Musk said. Some restrictions appear to have been partially lifted, and former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk early Thursday morning for restoring Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. “Completely removing the Starshield speed limit now is critical for Ukraine’s defense,” Fedorov added. The developments come amid tensions between kyiv and Washington over an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia announced by US President Donald Trump. Ukraine, however, has welcomed a deal subject to Moscow fulfilling its commitment, while Russian officials said talks were ongoing, without confirming whether they had reached an agreement. On Monday, Zelenskyy accused the Russians of violating the ceasefire. Trump also took aim at Ukraine as it continues to attack Russian energy facilities, saying the kyiv attacks were responsible for rising diesel prices, rather than the US war with Iran. Washington has threatened to cut intelligence sharing with kyiv, Reuters reported on Wednesday, while Ukrainian officials said a day earlier that they have received no warnings of Russian attacks on the country for two consecutive days. CNBC’s Elsa Olhen contributed to this report.
