Starlink speed cap in Ukraine persists as Musk, Trump and Rubio offer differing accounts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that speed limits on Starshield are still hampering Ukraine's military as it tries to fend off Russian drones. Starshield is the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet system, which Kyiv says its forces use. Zelensky said the restrictions look deliberate rather than technical. The network has been partly restored, but a cap of about 160km/h remains in place.

Three different answers

When the unexpected restrictions were first reported earlier this week, Poland's foreign minister accused SpaceX CEO Elon Musk of "playing politics". Musk wrote on his platform X that the US government owns and controls the system, and that decisions on its use rest with the military and ultimately the president. Sources cited by Reuters said an order to slow the network came from inside the White House. US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday: "It wasn't me", adding that he did not think it was Musk.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late on Saturday that claims the government ordered restrictions were "categorically false". He said Ukraine does not have access to the military version and that Starshield has nothing to do with Ukraine. That conflicts with reports that Ukrainian forces have long used both Starlink and Starshield.

Political backdrop

The restrictions come as relations between Kyiv and Washington sour. Musk is also close to the administration. Olena Tregub, founder and Secretary General of NAKO, Ukraine's Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, said the administration would not openly acknowledge cutting intelligence or Starlink connectivity, since elections are due in November. She said it is important to investigate what is really happening. Ukraine is continuing its investigation into the slowdown. This is not the first time Starlink decisions have shaped events on the battlefield.