Washington Determines Starshield Speed Caps, Musk Maintains, as Ukraine Reports Partial Connectivity Recovery
Musk said the U.S. military and President Donald Trump set Starshield limits after Ukrainian officials reported speed-based disruptions to drone missions.
- On Thursday, October 15, 2026, Ukrainian officials reported that Starshield connectivity for terminals operating at speeds up to 160 km/h has been restored. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk maintained that the US government, not his company, dictates speed and usage limits.
- Restrictions imposed earlier this week disrupted drone missions by capping speeds at about 100 mph. Musk stressed that Starshield systems are "owned and controlled by the US government," with limits decided by the US military and ultimately President Donald Trump.
- Military advisers reported the caps hindered fast-moving interceptor drones, forcing mission cancellations during Russian missile campaigns. Former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated on Telegram that "removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense."
- In the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, top Democrat Jeanne Shaheen demanded that "restrictions on Ukraine's access to Starshield must stop immediately," adding that "lives are at stake." Lawmakers are pressing the Pentagon for clarity on whether the administration authorized these changes.
- The dispute emerges amid wider diplomatic tensions, including reported threats to restrict intelligence sharing following Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has publicly confirmed Musk's account regarding US government control over the system.
324 Articles
324 Articles
U.S. officials have accused the U.S. of playing Russia's game by imposing restrictions on the use of the military version of Starlink. Elon Musk's satellite Internet service is used, among other things, for battlefield communication and the interception of drones. - Restrictions on the use of the military version of Elon Musk's satellite network, a thorn in the foot of Ukrainians (International).
Ukraine is being pressured by unannounced attacks and a diesel deal between the US and Russia. And during the week, the connection to the vital Starlink suddenly stopped working. According to owner Elon Musk, it is the US military and Trump who control it.
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Ukraine accused the United States of restricting its access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite technology and intelligence sharing. The restrictions observed hinder much of the action of aerial drones, key to the war against Russia. Elon Musk says that the slowing down of the Starshield military network is due to the US government, not to its company. Kiev is clearly aware that Europe is not able to offer any alternative to US systems. Analysis with…
Elon Musk Says It Was the Pentagon That Shut Down Starlink for the Ukrainian Military
In early 2022, not long after Russia’s invasion began, SpaceX made good on CEO Elon Musk’s promise by shipping thousands of Starlink broadband internet terminals to the front lines of Ukraine. The terminals quickly turned into a vital lifeline as many parts of the embattled region were plunged into the dark and cut off from the rest of the world. But Musk has been accused of playing both sides, with biographer Walter Isaacson claiming the billio…
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