Musk says the US government decides Starshield limits after a Starlink speed cap disrupts Ukraine's drones

Ukraine said on Tuesday night that unexpected new speed limits on SpaceX's Starlink network were disrupting its battlefield missions, the BBC reported on October 14. Starlink restricted speeds to 100mph (160km/h), meaning any weapons travelling faster than that lost connectivity to the network. The BBC described Starlink as a vital tool that lets Kyiv guide drones to Russian targets and protect its own skies.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Telegram that "it is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation." Zelensky told UK media: "I hope that it's a mistake, maybe (a) huge technical problem. I don't know, but we are asking to... switch (it) on."

Elon Musk responded on X: "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." He added 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." Starlink is SpaceX's civilian service, while Starshield is designed for government and military use. The US government has not commented, the BBC said.

Service had been partially restored by Wednesday evening, according to Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who wrote that "removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense." The restrictions came as Russia launched deadly attacks that killed several people in Kyiv and left at least 600,000 people across Ukraine without electricity, amid growing frustration from President Donald Trump over Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy facilities, the BBC reported.