Fedorov: removing Starshield speed cap critical to Ukraine defense
Elon Musk has written on X that any restrictions on the speed at which Ukrainian weapons can stay connected to SpaceX’s Starlink internet network are set by the US military and ultimately the US president, not by his company. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote.
Starlink restricted speed limits on Tuesday night to 100 mph (160 km/h), meaning any Ukrainian weapons traveling faster than that lost connectivity to the network. Starlink is a vital tool allowing Kyiv to guide drones to Russian targets and protect its own skies, and Ukraine said the unexpected new limits disrupted its battlefield missions.
Ukraine’s former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said service had been partially restored by Wednesday evening. “Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense,” Fedorov wrote on X, thanking Musk and asking for his “continued support.”
About an hour later, Musk replied to Fedorov’s post, defending his company’s involvement. Musk added that Starlink is for “civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.” The US government has not commented.
Musk had been responding to pleas from Ukrainian officials to restore connectivity, including from Zelensky, who told UK media: “I hope that it’s a mistake, maybe [a] huge technical problem. I don’t know, but we are asking to… switch [it] on.”
While both Starlink and Starshield are owned by Musk’s SpaceX, Starlink is a civilian service that uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access, particularly in remote areas, while Starshield is the military-grade sister service designed for government and military use.
The speed cap came as Russia launched what Zelensky called “one of the largest attacks” from Russia overnight. The strikes killed several people in Kyiv, struck communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine’s military, and left at least 600,000 people across Ukraine without electricity, according to Ukrainian officials. Zelensky said “a significant part of the drones were shot down” but that there were “also hits.” Residents said they received no warning of incoming drones before they hit.
“It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation,” Zelensky’s adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning.
BBC reporting has characterized US President Donald Trump as increasingly frustrated with Ukraine as it continues to strike Russian energy facilities. Zelensky has said the US threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign on to Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire, but on Tuesday, Trump denied this.
Speaking during a one-day visit to London on Wednesday, Zelensky told UK journalist Piers Morgan he had felt betrayed after the United States struck a deal with Russia to import 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel. “Really yes… but it’s a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings,” Zelensky said when asked if he felt betrayed.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham greeted Zelensky at Downing Street, announced the United Kingdom would accelerate delivery of lightweight multirole missiles to Ukraine—which have been used to bring down Russian drones—and told him “we are behind you and that will not change.” Zelensky also held an audience with King Charles during the visit.