Musk admits to cutting Ukraine Starlink speeds
SpaceX restored full bandwidth after a week of restrictions that Ukrainian leaders said disrupted front line operations against Russian drones.
By Ivan Dvorak ·
Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday that SpaceX intentionally reduced the speed of Starlink internet service in Ukraine. The admission resolves a week of uncertainty regarding who ordered the bandwidth cuts that disrupted Ukrainian military communications.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that full access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links was restored overnight. He wrote on X that the speeds are now where they need to be, noting that the fix improved logistics and defense against Russian Shahed drones by Saturday morning.
Musk defended the restriction in a post on X, arguing that Starlink is a civilian commercial service. He claimed the Ukrainian military violated terms of service by using the network for offensive drone strikes, a practice he said was never allowed. Musk stated that the specific loophole allowing such usage was closed last week.
Ukrainian officials reported that the restrictions caused lost drones and disrupted missions for more than a week. They noted that the changes to Starshield, the military grade version of the service, alarmed government and military leaders who rely on the system for operations.
The resolution occurred as a new diplomatic push to end the war gained momentum. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three way talks with the United States and Kyiv next month. Additionally, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on Friday to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the Kherson region, a deal brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not make the decision to cut speeds but suggested Musk should not be blamed. Vice President JD Vance hinted at White House coordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any administration involvement in the process.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy for the outcome. He said the restoration matters most for the front, military drone work, logistics, and communications. Fighting continued in the region, with local officials reporting a missile attack on Lozova in the Kharkiv region that killed one man and wounded two others.
