Musk responds to Ukraine's request to lift restrictions for Starlink

Speed restrictions on the military satellite terminals Starshield, used by the Ukrainian military, are set by US authorities, not directly by SpaceX. Final decisions regarding the use of the system are within the competence of the US president.

This was stated on October 14 by SpaceX founder Elon Musk on social network X, commenting on problems with satellite communications among the Ukrainian military.

According to Musk, the Starshield system belongs to the US government and is under its control. Any restrictions on speed or conditions of use are determined by the American military, and the final decision rests with the country's president.

“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any speed or usage restrictions are determined by the US military and, ultimately, the President of the United States,” Musk wrote.

The entrepreneur also emphasized the differences between the military Starshield system and the commercial Starlink network operated by SpaceX.

According to him, Starlink is intended for civilian use and defensive operations. Musk considers it unacceptable to use a commercial satellite network for offensive military actions.

At the same time, the entrepreneur did not specify who exactly made the decision to introduce restrictions that affected Ukrainian units on the night of October 14. There is no official confirmation of the corresponding order from the White House or the Pentagon yet.

Restrictions disrupted the operation of Ukrainian drones

Earlier, adviser to the President of Ukraine on defense technologies Serhiy Beskrestnov reported that on the night of October 14, SpaceX, without prior warning, restricted the operation of satellite terminals while in motion.

The changes affected the military Starshield package. Initially, communication began to drop at speeds of about 160 km/h, but some Ukrainian units reported disruptions even at significantly lower speeds.

The restrictions complicated the use of strike drones and interceptor drones. In particular, units of the 7th Corps of the Air Assault Forces reported loss of communication for 10–20 seconds at speeds of 110–120 km/h.

Due to the problems, the Ukrainian military had to cancel some combat missions. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine began consultations with US representatives, SpaceX and NATO partners, while simultaneously checking backup communication channels.

Later, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov reported the restoration of Starlink operation at speeds up to 160 km/h. He stressed that for the full operation of Ukrainian strike drones and interceptors, it is necessary to completely lift the speed restrictions on Starshield.

Thus, Musk’s statement clarifies the distribution of powers between SpaceX and the American government, but does not establish who directly ordered the parameters of the terminals to be changed on October 14.

Based on materials: Elon Musk on X, Mykhailo Fedorov, “Ukrainska Pravda”, Business Insider.