Ukraine's Starlink restrictions raise suspicions of Musk, Trump retaliation
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reacts after being awarded the National Medal of Science at the Institute of Peace on Oct. 8. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
The rupture between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over last week's diesel deal deepened Wednesday after an Elon Musk-owned satellite system used by Ukraine unexpectedly restricted service — undercutting Ukraine's fight against Russia.
Why it matters: The Ukrainian military uses SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system to control and operate its reconnaissance and intercept drones. When it doesn't operate at full capacity, Ukraine's ability to gather intelligence, use interceptor drones and conduct long-range strikes against Russia is impeded.
- Service was partially restored on Wednesday, but Ukrainian officials were still searching for answers about why the service was throttled and who was responsible.
- The limitations came days after a new crisis erupted between the U.S. and Ukraine over Trump's agreement to lift sanctions on Russian oil sales. Zelensky criticized the move, then Trump called for Ukraine to elect a new president.
- A senior U.S. official said the Trump administration had nothing to do with the alleged Starlink service constraints. But Ukrainian officials remain suspicious.
Driving the news: Ukrainian officials said SpaceX imposed the restrictions Tuesday night.
- The system turned off, they said, when a drone exceeded 160 kph. In some cases, it disconnected when the speed went over 80 kph.
- The Starlink restrictions came several hours after the Ukrainian military did not receive an early warning about a Russian ballistic missile attack.
- Ukrainian officials said the U.S. has provided such alerts over the last several years as part of intelligence sharing between the countries.
- U.S. officials pointed to a technical malfunction in the system, but Ukrainian officials suspect that it was a warning shot from the Trump administration.
- "We had massive [Russian] attacks today and it's a pity that we also had difficulties ... about Starlink and about intelligence and a lot of different surprises," Zelensky said at the top of a meeting in London with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. "We count on the partnership with the U.S. but we just want to be very honest and very clear and be a strong partner."
The latest: The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said SpaceX continues to restrict Starlink to 160 kph — significantly higher than earlier but still well below its normal speeds.
- The ministry said it remains in communication "with partners and SpaceX regarding stable service conditions and the prevention of sudden restrictions."
- "The situation is better than it was this morning, but 160 kph is not enough for intercepting" some Russian jet drones, a Ukrainian official added.
The intrigue: Ukrainian officials think the restrictions were imposed intentionally by SpaceX to press Ukraine to accept Trump's demand not to attack Russian oil refineries.
- Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote to Musk on X on Wednesday: "Hey, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you."
Between the lines: Ukraine relies on two satellite systems.
- One is SpaceX's Starlink, which is used for communications, ground forces, logistics and defensive drones — ones that shoot down incoming drones.
- The other is Starshield, which is controlled by the U.S. government and used for offensive military purposes.
- Both systems were restricted, according to Ukraine.
What they're saying: In a post on X, Musk did not directly address the throttling of Starlink, but he did indirectly comment on which entity would have been responsible for the limitations imposed on Ukraine.
- "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 wrote.
- "Starlink," he added, "is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company."
Behind the scenes: Zelensky's top advisers spoke with their White House counterparts Wednesday and asked whether there'd been a decision to shut down Starlink services and what could be done to fix the situation, two sources said.
- Ukrainian officials made similar calls to the CIA and the Pentagon.
- White House officials told the Ukrainians they don't have control over SpaceX, the sources said.
- One of the sources said the Trump administration is going to reach out to SpaceX to figure out what happened.
- The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
