Ukrainian authorities say Starlink has restricted some military internet services, disrupting operations amid an escalating dispute with the Trump administration. Ukrainian officials said they were caught off-guard by restrictions on the military-grade version of Elon Musk's Starlink, called Starshield.
Elon Musk said on his social media platform X that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, and that any limits on their speed or usage are up to the US military and president. He added that Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX and is limited to civilian or defensive activities, saying it "cannot be used for offensive military action." Two US officials said the decision to limit Ukrainian access to Starshield was not a high-level US policy decision. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.
Zelensky said Russian forces are trying to take advantage of the Starlink problems, noting that 124 drones were launched overnight and 145 more during the day. A Ukrainian military source said "the complications are substantial," with the front line and occupied territories expected to be affected. A Ukrainian defense ministry source said the situation "significantly complicates logistics, unmanned systems, forces operations, mid-range strikes." The ministry is testing backup communication channels.
The disruption comes amid tension over intelligence sharing. The Trump administration warned Ukraine that the US could suspend intelligence sharing and European purchases of US weapons if Kyiv does not halt long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities. Zelensky said his government received "no early warning from our partners" before a deadly ballistic missile attack on a major Kyiv power plant. Trump said the US had not stopped sharing intelligence and was "helping them." Ukrainian officials learned of the Starshield speed limits from SpaceX customer support after filing a complaint, with no prior warning, and were told the restrictions apply to vehicles and military hardware traveling at 100 miles per hour or higher.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing