Musk says US decides Starshield limits as Ukraine reports drone disruption

Elon Musk has said limits on the speed or use of Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX satellite technology used by Ukraine, are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS, the US president.

In posts on X, Musk said Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. He said Starlink, by contrast, is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX, with use limited to civilian or defensive activities and not for offensive military action. He suggested the US government could be behind the decision to restrict the speed of the satellite technology used by Ukraine's military, according to The Guardian.

Ukraine said on 14 October that SpaceX had restricted Starlink services, hampering its attack and air-defence drone missions. Ukrainian officials reported limitations affecting the military-grade service operating above 160 km/h, and said the curbs were disrupting military missions, according to Reuters. Kyiv says the speed restriction limits its ability to use key defensive weapons. Ukraine has reported problems with Starlink satellite internet terminals and with US data that warns of Russian ballistic missile attacks.

The dispute has drawn attention to alternatives. Shares in Eutelsat rose 23% after Ukraine flagged curbs on the military-grade Starlink service. Analysts said OneWeb, Eutelsat's satellite network, cannot quickly replace Starlink for Ukraine, according to Reuters.

The exchange over satellite services is unfolding alongside strained ties between Kyiv and Washington. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a television interview with Piers Morgan that he felt "betrayed" by decisions by President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy said he worried about losing a strong partner playing a critical role in Ukraine's defence. Musk posted "time to go", suggesting Zelenskyy should leave his post, reacting to Zelenskyy's comments on his relationship with Trump.

Intelligence sharing is a separate point of friction. Trump denied on Tuesday 13 October that his administration had cut intelligence sharing. Zelenskyy said in a US NPR interview aired on Wednesday 14 October that military advisers had received threats from the US that intelligence sharing could be limited in the future.

European leaders are meeting in Brussels on 15-16 October, with discussions on 15 October focused on internal matters including the EU's next budget. Zelenskyy was expected to join EU leaders in Brussels on Friday 16 October to discuss Ukraine.