SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are responsible for any restrictions placed on Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink network.
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Ukraine had accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on Starshield internet service without warning, leading to disruptions in Ukrainian military operations amid new Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s adviser on defense technologies, said SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on moving Starlink terminals, without notifying the country’s defense forces.
This 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 “civilian or defensive activities,” Musk said.
Some restrictions appear to have been partially lifted, with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanking Musk early Thursday morning that Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour had been restored. “The complete removal of the Starshield speed limit is now essential for the defense of Ukraine,” Fedorov added.
These developments come against a backdrop of tensions between kyiv and Washington over an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia announced by US President Donald Trump.
Ukraine, however, welcomed a deal subject to Moscow honoring its commitments, while Russian authorities said negotiations were underway, without confirming whether they had reached an agreement. On Monday, Zelensky accused the Russians of violating the ceasefire.
Trump also took aim at Ukraine, which continues to strike Russian energy facilities, saying kyiv’s attacks were to blame for rising diesel prices, instead of the United States’ war against Iran.
Washington has threatened to reduce intelligence sharing with kyiv, Reuters reported on Wednesday, while Ukrainian officials said a day earlier that they had not received warnings about Russian attacks on the country for two consecutive days.
—Elsa Olhen of CNBC contributed to this report.
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