Musk admits SpaceX throttled Ukraine's Starlink speeds for seven days
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed full speeds were restored Saturday after a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
Elon Musk stated on Saturday that his company, SpaceX, deliberately slowed the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine. The restriction lasted for more than a week and affected the systems the Ukrainian military uses for defence against Russian forces. Musk made the admission in a post on the social media platform X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that access to both Starlink and Starshield links had returned to previous levels. He noted that the slowdown hampered front-line operations for over seven days. Zelenskyy wrote on X that speeds were restored overnight and were sufficient by Saturday morning. This change improved logistics and defence against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
Musk defended the decision by arguing that a civilian commercial service should not be used for offensive drone strikes. He stated that the Ukrainian military violated terms of service by using Starlink for such attacks and that the loophole was closed last week. However, he maintained that the U.S. government controlled changes to Starshield, the military-grade version of the system.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington for the resolution. He said the outcome was vital for the front, drone work, logistics, and communications. The restoration occurred as the U.S. pushed for diplomatic progress. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month. Kyiv and Moscow also agreed on Friday to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the southern Kherson region, a move brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
The episode added strain to relations between Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian officials had previously viewed a reported U.S. deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports as a betrayal. U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not make the call to slow the service but argued that Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance hinted at White House co-ordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied administration involvement.
Fighting continued in other areas of the conflict. Local officials reported that 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 following overnight Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine's General Staff said it struck a chemical plant in Tolyatti and an electronics plant in Oryol. Local officials said three people died in the Oryol attack. Ukrainian drones also reached the Omsk region, more than 2,000 kilometres from the border, where the online retailer Ozon reported a drone attack on its logistics centre with no casualties.
