Who ordered Starlink speed restrictions on Ukraine? Elon Musk reveals why SpaceX throttled service
Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite services has been restored to its previous speeds after restrictions disrupted frontline operations for more than a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
“The speeds are now where they need to be,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The Ukrainian President emphasised that service restoration began overnight and was sufficient by Saturday morning. The move is expected to help improve frontline logistics, communications and defence against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
After Kyiv confirmed the restoration, SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk addressed the restrictions, acknowledging that his company had throttled Starlink’s satellite internet service in Ukraine.
Musk said the move followed violations of Starlink’s terms of service by the Ukrainian military, alleging that the technology had been used for offensive drone strikes.
“Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” Musk wrote on X.
He also defended SpaceX’s role in the conflict, saying the company had “done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR”.
The restrictions had raised concerns among Ukrainian military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions, as per reports.
Before Musk’s latest comments, uncertainty persisted over who was responsible for the decision to limit service speeds.
Musk had initially suggested that the US government was responsible, while US President Donald Trump said he was unaware of the restrictions.
On Saturday, Trump told Wall Street Journal that he had asked Musk to ease the restrictions. Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said: “I have spoken to Elon Musk”, as per CNBC.
The episode highlighted the influence of SpaceX’s satellite network on Ukraine’s battlefield operations.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited “direct dialogue” and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for the outcome, as per CNBC.
He said the restoration was significant for Ukraine’s frontline forces, particularly for drone operations, logistics and communications.
The development comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with the United States and Ukraine next month.
Kyiv and Moscow also agreed on Friday to a localised ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump.
The Starlink dispute added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, whose relationship had already been strained by Trump’s deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports to the US, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.
Starlink is SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet network, which has become a key communications tool for Ukraine’s military and civilian infrastructure during the war.
Starshield is SpaceX’s government-focused satellite service, built using technology from the Starlink network. Restrictions affecting these systems can have consequences for battlefield communications, drone operations and military logistics.
Bhanu Pratap is a journalist who reports and writes on foreign affairs, India’s foreign policy, geopolitics and strategic affairs. He closely follows diplomatic developments in New Delhi and has a keen interest in defence and national security.<br> <br> Bhanu also focuses on in-depth, interview-based reports and regularly speaking with experts and policymakers to bring perspectives and context to major developments around the world.<br> <br> He is also interested in stories with strong humanitarian angles.<br><br> One such report examined the cases of Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited and forced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. While reporting the story, Bhanu spoke to the families of those affected and documented their experiences. The report was later taken into account by the United Nations in its findings on human rights violations linked to the war in Ukraine.<br> <br> For Bhanu, the zeal to produce meaningful and impactful journalism remains at the heart of his work.<br> <br>He has previously worked with Firstpost, NDTV, Newslaundry and Republic.<br><br> Bhanu studied at the Delhi School of Journalism, University of Delhi. He initially chose science with plans to pursue engineering, influenced by conventional expectations, but fate had other plans and eventually led him to journalism.<br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys exploring culture and history and often spends his days off on heritage walks. He is also passionate about travelling, biking and listening to folk music.<br> <br>For tips, reviews and suggestions, you can reach him at bhanu.pratap@htdigital.in.
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