Musk Says He Ordered Starlink Speed Limits in Ukraine

Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX was responsible for slowing the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, a restriction that disrupted operations the country depends on to defend itself against Russia.

The admission, made in a post on X, followed an announcement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links had returned to its earlier speeds. Zelenskyy said the restrictions had hampered front-line operations for more than a week. Since last week, questions had lingered over who ordered the interruptions to the system Kyiv has relied on for years.

"The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelenskyy wrote on X. He said restoration began overnight and was sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defence against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

Musk defended the move. "Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be," he wrote. He said the Ukrainian military violated the terms of service by using it for such strikes, and that the loophole was closed last week.

He maintained, however, that the U.S. government controlled any changes to Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that underpins Ukraine's drone operations and communications. Musk also defended SpaceX's role in strengthening Ukraine's defences since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The restrictions on Starshield had alarmed Ukrainian military and government officials, and commanders reported lost drones and disrupted missions.

The restoration comes amid a fresh U.S. diplomatic push to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a war-ravaged, Russian-occupied town in the southern Kherson region, brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump.

The episode added to strain between Kyiv and Washington, already tested by U.S. President Donald Trump's reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine saw as a betrayal. Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited "direct dialogue" and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington, saying the outcome mattered most "for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications."

Trump has said he did not make the call but also that Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance has hinted at White House co-ordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied any administration involvement.

Fighting continued meanwhile. Local officials said a man was killed and two others wounded in a missile attack on Lozova in the Kharkiv region. Moscow-installed authorities in Crimea reported blackouts after overnight Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine's General Staff said it hit a chemical plant in Tolyatti that produces materials used in rocket fuel, and an electronics plant in Oryol that makes components for Russian missiles. Local officials said three people died in the Oryol attack. Ukrainian drones also reached Russia's Omsk region, more than 2,000 kilometres from the border, where online retailer Ozon said a drone attacked its logistics centre with no casualties.