Musk Acknowledges SpaceX Slowed Ukraine's Starlink Service
The CEO stated that military use of the commercial network violated terms of service, a claim Ukrainian leaders contested after the disruption ended.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday that SpaceX reduced the transmission speeds of Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine. The owner of the company disclosed the decision in a post on X, acknowledging that his firm was responsible for the limitation. This admission followed a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that access to Starlink and Starshield links had returned to their previous levels.
Zelenskyy reported that the speed restoration began overnight and was complete by Saturday morning. He noted that the prior restrictions hindered front-line operations for more than a week. The recovery improved logistics and defensive capabilities against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones. The Ukrainian leader stated that the speeds were now where they needed to be.
Musk justified the slowdown by arguing that the Ukrainian military violated the terms of service. He wrote that using a civilian commercial service for offensive drone strikes was not permitted. According to Musk, the company closed this loophole last week. He maintained that SpaceX has strengthened Ukraine's defences since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022.
The CEO distinguished between the commercial Starlink service and the military-grade Starshield network. He stated that the U.S. government controlled changes to Starshield, which underpins Ukraine's drone operations and communications. This division of responsibility sparked debate among officials. Ukrainian military commanders had reported lost drones and disrupted missions during the period of reduced speeds.
The resolution occurred during a period of renewed diplomatic activity. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with the United States and Ukraine next month. Additionally, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on Friday to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the Kherson region. This arrangement was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not make the decision to slow the speeds but indicated that Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance suggested that the White House coordinated with Musk. In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any administration involvement in the order. Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara attributed the resolution to direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington.
Combat operations continued despite the diplomatic developments. Local officials in the Kharkiv region reported that a man was killed and two others wounded in a missile attack on Lozova. Ukrainian forces struck a chemical plant in Tolyatti and an electronics plant in Oryol, where three people died. A drone also hit an Ozon logistics centre in the Omsk region, more than 2,000 kilometres from the border, with no casualties reported.
