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11:45 16.10.2026 •
Ukraine’s Starlink access has been restricted without warning, adding to growing confusion about whether the United States has begun limiting intelligence and military aid to Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian military adviser and others with ties to the country’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday, The Washington Post writes.
A flurry of contradictory reports over possible restrictions on access to Starlink, the satellite internet service, and to U.S. intelligence followed claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky late Tuesday that Ukraine had not received warnings from its Western partners on incoming ballistic attacks for two consecutive nights.
Starlink is operated by SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, who threatened in 2023 to cut off the Ukrainian military’s access unless the U.S. government paid for it. The Pentagon agreed to pay.
Ukraine’s armed forces rely on a secure, militarized version of Starlink internet service called Starshield for key military operations, including their midrange strike campaign in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Starlink is also vital for the operation of internet-connected interceptor drones that can normally reach speeds over 180 mph.
Ukrainian officials said their military has experienced speed restrictions. “I confirm that SpaceX implemented speed restrictions on Starlink terminals while in motion last night,” Serhii Beskrestnov, a presidential adviser on military technology, said in a post on social media.
Previously, these systems operated without speed limits — allowing Ukraine to swiftly and effectively hit complex targets. Limits could create major problems for logistics as well as the operation of drones and other fast-moving unmanned systems. The connection might be cut off when these systems exceed the limit during operation.
Wednesday’s outages disrupted military operations, creating immediate dangers to troops and civilians, according to Ukrainian service members.
Starshield connectivity was severed among personnel focused on air defense, leaving them unable to intercept drones and missiles, according to a Ukrainian soldier whose unit is fanned out across eastern Ukraine. The loss of connectivity also grounded attack drones that target Russian logistics and command posts, the soldier said.
Musk has not publicly commented on whether the claims on restrictions are accurate. In a post over the weekend, he appeared to support President Donald Trump’s call for Zelensky’s removal last week.
“Zelensky has gone too far,” Musk wrote. In another post Wednesday, Musk clarified that Starlink is controlled by SpaceX, while Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government.
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” he wrote.
He added: “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.”
The contradiction and confusion around the lack of intelligence appears to have originated from behind-the-scenes threats made by U.S. officials warning Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries or risk being cut off from critical U.S. weapons and intelligence.
The U.S. threatened to withhold intelligence from Ukraine on Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
U.S. intelligence officials warned the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington that if there are more strikes on Russian energy sites, the U.S. would immediately halt all intelligence sharing. U.S. intelligence has not been cut off, at least not in full, but the threat remains, the person said.
“The warnings were so widespread that anyone with a Ukrainian-sounding last name got a call,” the person said. The type of missile that hit Kyiv has evaded alert systems previously, but not recently, the person said.
The Kremlin said that it was “too early to draw conclusions” about whether Washington would continue to support Ukraine militarily.
“On the one hand, there are statements that assistance continues to be provided; on the other hand, there are claims that various technical problems have arisen and the information chain has been interrupted,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Regarding potential Starlink restrictions, Peskov said that “it would be better if such brilliant technologies were not used for military purposes at all.”
AXIOS: Ukraine's Starlink restrictions raise suspicions of Musk, Trump retaliation
The rupture between President Trump and Zelensky over last week's diesel deal deepened Wednesday after an Elon Musk-owned satellite system used by Ukraine unexpectedly restricted service — undercutting Ukraine's fight against Russia, AXIOS writes.
Why it matters: The Ukrainian military uses SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system to control and operate its reconnaissance and intercept drones. When Starlink doesn't operate at full capacity, Ukraine's ability to gather intelligence, use interceptor drones and conduct long-range strikes against Russia is impeded.
Service was partially restored Wednesday, but Ukrainian officials were still searching for answers about why the service was throttled and who was responsible.
The limitations came days after a new crisis erupted between the U.S. and Ukraine over Trump's agreement to lift sanctions on Russian oil sales. Zelensky criticized the move, then Trump called for Ukraine to elect a new president.
A senior U.S. official said the Trump administration had nothing to do with the alleged Starlink service constraints. But Ukrainian officials remain suspicious.
The intrigue: Ukrainian officials think the restrictions were imposed intentionally by SpaceX to press Ukraine to accept Trump's demand not to attack Russian oil refineries.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote to Musk on Wednesday: "Hey, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you."
Between the lines: Ukraine relies on two satellite systems.
One is SpaceX's Starlink, which it uses for communications, ground forces, logistics and defensive drones — ones that shoot down incoming drones.
The other is Starshield, which is controlled by the U.S. government and used for offensive military purposes.
Both systems were restricted, according to Ukraine.
What they're saying: In a post Musk did not directly address the throttling of Starlink, but he did indirectly comment on which entity would have been responsible for the limitations imposed on Ukraine.
"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," he wrote.
"Starlink," he added, "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."
… According to the latest information, the order to restrict the use of Starlink’s “military package” called Starshield came from the White House. This is reported by Reuters, citing two American and one Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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