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Ukraine Calls Starlink Speed Cap a 'Planned Operation'; US Denies Ordering It
Zelenskyy said tests showed Starlink drones losing connection above 100 mph inside Ukraine while terminals above 112 mph worked normally in the EU; Trump and Musk denied ordering it, and Secretary Rubio said 'nobody ordered' it and service was restored.
Why it matters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that tests showed Starlink-equipped drones lost their connection when flying faster than about 100 miles per hour inside Ukraine, while Starlink terminals moving faster than 112 mph inside the European Union worked normally — 'in other words, this is a planned operation.' US officials denied ever ordering a slowdown, keeping the dispute alive.
Full report
The Telegraph reported on October 16, citing four unnamed sources, that Elon Musk approached President Trump with the idea of slowing Starlink in Ukraine and that Trump 'agreed.' Both men have denied it. Trump told reporters on Friday: 'It wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon.' Musk said on X that speed or usage limits on Starshield 'are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Saturday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland: 'We had nothing to do with it. Nobody ordered that Starlink speed to be slowed down. It sorta happened,' adding that to his understanding service had 'been restored... back to where it was before.' He also said Ukraine had no access to the military-grade Starshield service — a claim Yahoo Finance noted conflicts with a late-2024 Pentagon contract that expanded Ukraine's Starshield access from about 500 to roughly 3,000 terminals. Separately, a Ukrainian official told Axios that 'our guys who speak to SpaceX say the White House was involved in the decision.'
Speaking on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, Zelenskyy said: 'Just give us back Starlink.' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Zelenskyy to 'be careful' with 'reckless' comments about the United States. Reports say the restrictions covered both Starlink and Starshield, which Ukraine relies on for communications, logistics, live drone video and targeting.
Source: Just Security, The Telegraph, Axios, NBC News
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