Musk says he was behind Starlink speed restriction after service in Ukraine is restored

Kyiv, Ukraine - Elon Musk has admitted that his company SpaceX throttled Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on for defense against Russia. The admission came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Starlink and Starshield services were restored, returning to pre-restriction speeds.

Musk's acknowledgment followed questions about who ordered the speed restrictions that were in place for over a week. The Ukrainian military had been using Starlink for offensive drone strikes against Russian targets, which violated Starlink's terms of service. Musk maintained that the U.S. government controlled any changes to Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink that is crucial for Ukraine's drone operations.

The restrictions led to tensions between Ukraine and the U.S., as the U.S. relationship with Ukraine has been strained by recent diplomatic deals with Russia. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued targeting each other, with Ukraine striking a chemical plant in Russia and drones reaching deep into Russia's western Siberian region.