Ukraine Starlink Access Restricted as Musk Says Zelensky ‘Has Gone Too Far’

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0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service was restricted without advance warning overnight, disrupting battlefield operations against Russian troops, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

SpaceX, the company that operates Starlink, put a “speed limit” on Starlink terminals in Ukraine, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s presidential office, said in a post to the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine depends heavily on Starlink terminals and the thousands of satellites orbiting close to the Earth to maintain communications and pilot its extensive drone fleets. Ukrainian officials said the cap was imposed late on Tuesday and had already impacted missions against Moscow.

Newsweek could not independently verify the Ukrainian claims and has reached out to SpaceX for comment via email sent outside of regular working hours. Newsweek has also contacted the White House.

The apparent new constraints on Starlink access come as the U.S. pressures Ukraine to halt its punishing campaign of drone assaults on Russian oil refineries, which have contributed to global diesel price rises and dented Russia’s export-reliant economy. Trump has sought to blame rising U.S. diesel prices on Ukraine rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has elevated world energy prices.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had told Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to stop striking Russian oil refineries as Republicans stare down the midterm elections, and prices at the pump for many U.S. consumers remain high.

“Zelensky has gone too far,” Musk said in a post to X on Saturday.

Beskrestnov said the military-grade version of Starlink was affected at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Serhii Sternenko, a prominent Ukrainian activist and a former adviser on drone technology to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, said “connectivity began to drop” when drones moved at more than 100 miles per hour.

“Our defense forces were not given notice of this limit, and this has resulted in the disruption of a number of missions,” Beskrestnov said. Sternenko said a “number of critical missions” had been affected.

Beskrestnov said the change “cannot be a coincidence” and was tied to the “current political situation.”

“SpaceX likely took these measures at the request of the Trump administration,” added Sternenko, who did not provide evidence. Musk has previously said Starlink would never be used as a “bargaining chip” in the conflict, even if he disagrees with Ukrainian policy.

Trump on Friday announced that Russia would “immediately” be supplying at least 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global markets, with 500,000 tons to follow in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” The agreement followed a “highly successful discussion” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Treasury also relaxed sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027 and authorized imports directly into the United States.

The announcement on Friday caught Kyiv by surprise. Zelensky said it was a “weak decision by strong partners.”

On Saturday, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to end the war with Russia and defying his warning against striking Russian oil infrastructure.

“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals, and for some reason he never does.”

In response to a video of Trump criticizing Zelensky, Musk wrote: “Zelensky has gone too far.”