Musk says Starshield speed limits in Ukraine are US government's call, not SpaceX's

Elon Musk said the speed restrictions on Starshield, SpaceX's military satellite communications service, are decided by the US government and military — not by SpaceX — amid a growing controversy in Ukraine over limits on Starlink satellite connectivity.

Musk said on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday (local time) that "the Starshield system is owned and controlled by the US government," adding that "all restrictions on speed or usage are decided by the US military, with final authority resting with the president of the United States."

Starshield is a military communications service built on SpaceX's commercial satellite internet service, Starlink.

On the civilian Starlink service, Musk said it is "a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX" that "can only be used for civilian or defensive activities, not offensive military operations." He added that using a commercial service provided by a private company for offensive military purposes would be inappropriate.

Musk made the remarks in a reply to a post by former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said Starlink connectivity was being restored.

Fedorov said connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour was being restored.

He did not elaborate, but the statement was interpreted to mean that speed limits had been tightened below the previously known threshold of 160 km/h before being partially restored to that level.

Some Ukrainian media had reported that Starshield's speed limit, originally set at 160 km/h, had been tightened to between 60 and 70 km/h.

Fedorov thanked Musk and urged him to continue his support, saying it was "urgent to fully lift the speed restrictions on Starshield for the defense of Ukraine."

Earlier, Serhii Beskrestnov, a technology adviser at Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram that speed restrictions had been imposed on Starshield without prior notice and linked the move to political circumstances.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed regret over the Starlink service restrictions during a visit to the United Kingdom.

Ukraine relies heavily on Starshield-enabled drones in its war against Russia, and such satellite service restrictions could prove devastating to the course of the war.