Musk Says U.S. Controls Starshield Limits After Ukraine Disruption

Elon Musk said the U.S. government, not SpaceX, decides speed and usage limits for Starshield, after Ukrainian officials reported that an overnight restriction disrupted some military missions and said connectivity was being restored in part. Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, with limits decided by the military and ultimately President Donald Trump. He distinguished it from Starlink, which he described as a separate commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said the 100 mph (160 km/h) limit was imposed overnight without notice and disrupted some missions. He suggested the timing was connected to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, but the supplied reporting does not establish a political motive or independently verify the cause of the restriction. Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Wednesday that connectivity at speeds up to 160 km/h was being restored. He also said removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely remained important for Ukraine’s defense.