Musk Says "Restrictions on Military Starlink Are Up to U.S. Government and President"

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, stated regarding the recent controversy over speed restrictions on Starlink satellite services in Ukraine that such limitations are a matter for the U.S. government and military to decide.

Writing on the social media platform X on the 14th (local time), CEO Musk explained, "The Starshield system is owned and controlled by the U.S. government," adding, "Any restrictions on speed and usage are decided by the U.S. military authorities and ultimately by the U.S. President."

Starshield is a military-grade service based on the Starlink system.

Regarding standard Starlink, a civilian internet service, CEO Musk further emphasized, "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX," and noted, "Starlink can only be used for civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military operations."

He implied that using civilian Starlink for offensive operations constitutes inappropriate use.

Musk posted this explanation in a reply to a post by Mykhailo Fedorov, former Ukrainian Minister of Defense, who stated that Starlink connections were being restored.

Former Minister Fedorov reported, "Starlink connections up to 160 km/h are being restored."

Although specific details were not disclosed, this is interpreted to mean that the speed limit, which was reportedly lowered further than the previously known 160 km/h, is being restored back to 160 km/h for now.

Some Ukrainian media outlets had previously reported that the speed limit for Starshield, initially set at 160 km/h, had been tightened to 60 to 70 km/h.

Expressing gratitude to CEO Musk, former Minister Fedorov requested continued support, stating, "It is urgent to completely lift the Starshield speed limits for the defense of Ukraine."

Earlier, Serhii Beskrestnov, a technology advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, claimed via Telegram that speed restrictions had been placed on Starshield without prior notice, linking the move to political situations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed regret over the Starlink service restrictions during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Ukraine heavily relies on drones utilizing the Starshield system in its war against Russia, making such satellite service limitations potentially critical to the course of the war, according to reports.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.