Musk says any limits on Ukraine's Starlink access down to US, not his firm

Elon Musk has suggested that the US administration may be behind restrictions on the speed at which some of Ukraine's weapons can travel and stay connected to his Starlink internet network.

Key points

• At least 600, 000 individuals throughout Ukraine were left without electricity, and residents noted they received no warning of incoming drones before they hit.
• "Removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense, " he wrote on X, thanking Elon Musk and asking for his "continued support".
• US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated towards Ukraine as it continues to strike Russian energy facilities.
• According to Zelensky has, the US threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign up to Trump's energy ceasefire, but on Tuesday, Trump denied this.
• An adviser to president Zelensky remarked he believed the restrictions were not a co-incidence and were related to the latest strains between Kyiv and Washington.

Starlink is a vital tool allowing Kyiv to guide drones to Russian targets and additionally protect its own skies, but on Tuesday night Ukraine stated unexpected new speed limits were disrupting its battlefield missions.

For context, an adviser to president Zelensky remarked he believed the restrictions were not a co-incidence and were related to the latest strains between Kyiv and Washington.

According to Musk, starshield, the military-grade sister service to Starlink, is controlled by the US administration, and "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately ".

Musk – writing on X – had been responding to pleas from Ukrainian authorities to restore connectivity, including from President Volodymyr Zelensky who informed UK media: "I hope that it's a mistake, maybe massive technical challenge. I don't know, but we are asking to. Switch (it) on."

Starlink, which is owned by Musk's SpaceX, restricted speed limits on Tuesday night to 100mph (160km/h), meaning any weapons that travelled faster than that lost connectivity to the network.

It had been partially restored by Wednesday evening, Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov remarked.

Regarding an hour afterwards, Musk replied to that post, defending his company's involvement.

"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US administration. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS, " he wrote.

Musk continued that Starlink is for "civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company". The US administration has not commented.

While Starshield is designed for administration and military employ, while both firms are owned by Musk's SpaceX, Starlink is a civilian service that uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access, particularly in remote areas.

Notably, the restrictions on Tuesday night came as Russia introduced deadly attacks against Ukraine, that killed a number of individuals in Kyiv, office-holders stated, and hit communications and energy facilities employed by Ukraine's military.

It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation, Zelensky's adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning.

Speaking during a visit to London on Wednesday, President Zelensky agreed that he had felt betrayed after the US created a agreement with Russia to import 300, 000 tonnes of its of diesel.

When asked by UK journalist Piers Morgan if he felt betrayed, "Really yes. But it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings, " Zelensky remarked.

Taken together, the developments around musk says any limits on Ukraine' s Starlink access down to US, not point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.