Musk: Starlink restrictions for Ukraine are determined by the White House

Elon Musk has made clear that restrictions on Starlink satellite internet for Ukrainian forces were introduced at the direction of U.S. authorities, not by SpaceX’s own decision.

The billionaire wrote about this on his social network X.

The post was prompted by a statement from former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov that Starlink restrictions for Kyiv had been lifted.

“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any speed or usage restrictions are determined by the U.S. Armed Forces and, ultimately, the President of the United States. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Starlink use is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military operations, as that would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Musk wrote.

Fedorov, for his part, stated that Starlink operation at speeds of up to 160 km/h “is being restored” and thanked Musk. “The full removal of the Starshield speed restriction is now critically important for Ukraine’s defense,” he added.

However, information soon emerged that SpaceX is maintaining the restriction on Starlink terminals operating at speeds above 160 km/h. This was reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, citing sources in the Ministry of Defense. According to the outlet, earlier in the day the actual restrictions had been significantly lower, but at the time of publication the restrictions at speeds above 160 km/h remained in place.

Sources in the Ministry of Defense indicated that the Starlink restriction significantly hampers logistics and operational navigation, the operation of drone systems, medium-range strikes, and other Ukrainian Armed Forces operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously confirmed that Starlink was being restricted in territories under Kyiv’s control.