Elon Musk said Wednesday that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump bear ultimate responsibility for any restrictions placed on Ukraine's military-grade Starshield satellite network. Writing on X, Musk stated that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
The statement came after Ukraine's defense technology advisor Serhii Beskrestnov accused SpaceX of implementing speed limits on Starlink terminals in motion without warning. Those restrictions disrupted Ukrainian military operations, Beskrestnov said on Telegram. Starlink is used to operate Ukraine's interceptor drones against Russian Shahed drones, which he described as the "most effective solution" for that threat.
Musk distinguished between Starlink, which he said is for "civilian or defensive activities," and Starshield, which operates as a military-grade network.
Some restrictions appear to have been lifted. Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk early Thursday after Starlink connectivity at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour was restored. Fedorov added that "Removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense."
The Starshield tension sits within a broader disagreement between Washington and Kyiv. Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, though Zelenskyy on Monday accused Russia of breaching it. Ukraine has welcomed the deal if Russia honors it. Russian authorities said talks were ongoing without confirming an agreement.
Trump also criticized Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy facilities, saying Kyiv's attacks caused diesel price increases rather than U.S. tensions with Iran. Reuters reported Wednesday that Washington has threatened to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said they had not received warnings of Russian attacks for two consecutive days.