SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his company is not responsible for any speed restrictions on Starshield defense communications systems, saying that power is vested in the U.S. military and President Donald Trump.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote on X on Wednesday afternoon. The tech CEO had taken heat over the reported speed restrictions on Starshield systems in Ukraine.
Starshield, owned and operated by the War Department, is the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network and is used by Ukraine in its war against Russia. Ukrainian military officials and President Volodymyr Zelensky raised concerns Wednesday that the country’s Starshield systems had speed limits imposed on them without any warning and called for Musk to address the issue.
When asked in an interview with Piers Morgan what his message was to Musk about the speed restrictions, Zelensky said, “It’s a big mistake. A lot of losses — this decision will bring a lot of human losses.” Musk released the statement after the Zelensky interview, saying SpaceX does not control Starshield systems, the U.S. government does, and that SpaceX is instead in charge of the separate commercial service, Starlink.
“Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Musk clarified on X.
Musk shared the statement on X in response to a post from former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who left Zelensky’s administration in July, claiming Wednesday afternoon that Ukrainian Starlink connectivity was being restored to its regular speeds without the restrictions.
“Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored,” Fedorov said. “Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.”
The reported restrictions had limited Starshield terminals from moving at speeds above 100 mph. Ukrainian defense officials had warned earlier Wednesday that speed limits on the systems could disrupt Ukraine’s defense against Russian air attacks and force the cancellation of certain planned Ukrainian drone operations on Russia.
Musk faced pressure from not only Zelensky but also several U.S. lawmakers, who called for the SpaceX CEO to speak out and address the situation.
ZELENSKY LAMENTS UKRAINE IS ‘LOSING AMERICA’ AS CONGRESS CRIES FOUL OVER INTEL AND STARLINK REPORTS
“@elonmusk please tell me these overnight disruptions to Starlink terminals in Ukraine were unintended – that @SpaceX is doing everything it can to fix a temporary glitch,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) wrote on X earlier Wednesday.
The Washington Examiner contacted the White House and the Pentagon for comment.