Starlink speed cap disrupts Ukraine's army, Musk points to Washington
Ukraine's army lost reliable Starlink speeds on 14 October after a 160 km/h cap that Kyiv says hit attack drones and air defence. Elon Musk says the US government and its president control those limits.
The speed cap on army terminals
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on 14 October that SpaceX had capped moving Starlink terminals at 100 mph (160 km/h), a limit Kyiv said hurt both attack drones and air defence. Zelensky later said the block took effect at 1am, while a Ukrainian Defence Ministry source described the limit as taking hold in the early hours of 14 October. One account places the change on Tuesday, 13 October, which differs from the other reports. Drones piloted remotely became impossible to operate, and Ukrainian forces said the change caught them by surprise.
Musk places control with Washington
Elon Musk, a former adviser to Trump, replied to a message from former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and said the military Starshield network belongs to the US government. He added that speed and usage limits are set by the American military and ultimately by the US president. Earlier, the Polish government, which funds Ukraine's Starlink access, had suggested Musk acted on Trump's instructions, a claim Musk later rejected. In a later post on X he urged Zelensky to leave office, blaming him for prolonging the war.
Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.
Zelensky's charge against Trump
In an interview with Piers Morgan published on 14 October, Zelensky said he felt personally betrayed by Trump, whom he suspects of being behind the restrictions. Asked whether the Starlink limits were deliberate, he said yes, but added that the matter was more complicated than his own feelings. He said the decision would cost lives and accused Trump of choosing Russia's side after more than four years of war.
Restoration and the energy truce
On 15 October a Defence Ministry source confirmed that army Starlink terminals had been reconnected and were operational, but did not say whether the 160 km/h limit had been lifted. Fedorov wrote that connectivity at speeds up to 160 km/h was being restored and asked for the complete removal of the Starshield cap. Unlimited access was reportedly expected to return only on 15 October.
- Trump proposes a 60-day moratorium on strikes against refineries and energy infrastructure
- Speed cap on Starlink terminals takes effect in the early hours
- Presidential adviser publicly denounces the 160 km/h speed cap
- Defence Ministry source confirms army terminals reconnected, cap status unclear
On Saturday, 10 October, Trump proposed a 60-day moratorium on strikes against refineries and energy infrastructure to both sides, a move that coincided with the lifting of US sanctions on Russian oil. Moscow and Kyiv have each accused the other of breaching the energy truce since it began. Pressure from Washington on Ukraine to halt such strikes has grown, with reported threats to cut off secret intelligence sharing and Starlink communications.
Zelensky's appeal to NATO
On 15 October Zelensky met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels and asked allies not to interrupt arms deliveries. He cited nearly 1,000 Russian drones launched since the morning of 14 October, along with waves of ballistic missile strikes, and named ballistic interceptors and F-16 munitions as priorities. He called Russia's large offensive on energy, other facilities and housing its answer to Trump's effort to reduce strikes, and said Ukraine's army would again target Russian refineries.
