SpaceX throttles Starlink in Ukraine; Poland's Sikorski asks Musk if it's politics
Kyiv says SpaceX stopped the military version of Starlink from working above 160 kph. Poland, which pays for Ukraine's subscriptions, demanded answers from Elon Musk.
Symbolic image · Photo: Support Forces of Ukraine Command / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
SpaceX imposed a speed limit on some Starlink terminals in Ukraine, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, a technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Tonight SpaceX introduced a speed limit for the Starlink terminals in motion," he wrote. Reuters reported that the military-grade version no longer works above 160 kph (100 mph); Beskrestnov said several missions were disrupted. Ukraine received no advance warning, he said, linking the restriction to the political situation.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Elon Musk on social media whether he was "playing politics" with Starlink. Poland pays for Ukraine's Starlink subscription. Musk said in 2025 that the front line would collapse if he switched Starlink off. No comment from SpaceX on the restriction appeared in the reports reviewed. The move comes amid mounting pressure from Washington. Zelenskyy told NPR the Trump administration warned it could cut off intelligence sharing unless Ukraine halts long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump said the U.S. was "sharing intel."