Musk says he was behind Starlink speed restriction in Ukraine
Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on to defend itself against Russia.
Announcement comes as Kyiv says satellite speeds restored after days of issues
The Associated Press
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Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on to defend itself against Russia.
Musk's admission on social media came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week.
Questions have persisted since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Musk-made satellite internet system that Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow's attacks.
"The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and were sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
More to come
This is a breaking update. A previous version of this story can be read below.
Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday.
“The speeds are now where they need to be,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and was sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defence against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
The restoration follows a new U.S. diplomatic push to end the war. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire brokered by Melania Trump around Oleshky, a war-ravaged, Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.
WATCH | Carney speaks out against Starlink slowdown in Ukraine:
Carney says he is 'concerned' about reported Starlink slowdown in Ukraine
October 23|
Duration
3:10
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is concerned about the reported slowdown of SpaceX's Starlink satellite system in Ukraine, which created 'real consequences.' He says Canadians likewise 'do not want to be caught in a situation where we are reliant on one provider that may change their view' and compromise Canadian sovereignty.Restrictions imposed last week on Starshield — SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service and the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication — alarmed the country’s military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions.
The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.
Questions have persisted since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Elon Musk-made satellite internet system that Ukraine has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks.
Trump has maintained that he didn’t make the call, while also saying Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance has hinted at White House co-ordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have denied any administration involvement.
Russia, Ukraine exchange attacks
Meanwhile, a man was killed and two others wounded in a missile attack on the city of Lozova in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, local officials said Saturday.
Moscow-installed authorities in cities across Russia-occupied Crimea reported power blackouts Saturday following overnight Ukrainian attacks.
Video
Ukraine says Starlink restrictions are disrupting military operations
Russian strikes kill at least 9, as Ukraine reports intelligence, Starlink disruptions
Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday that its forces hit a chemical plant in the Russian city of Tolyatti, which produces materials used in rocket fuel. Tolyatti Mayor Ilya Sukhikh said the overnight attack damaged industrial facilities in the city.
Ukrainian forces also hit an electronics plant in the city of Oryol, Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday. Local officials in Oryol said Saturday that three people were killed in Friday’s attack. The General Staff said the plant makes components for the cruise and ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities.
WATCH | Russia agreed to peace talks — then bombarded Ukraine:
Russia bombards Kyiv with missile attacks hours after agreeing to peace talks
October 22|
Duration
4:15
Russia targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight with a barrage of missile strikes while Ukraine sent hundreds of drones to Moscow. The latest attacks occurred after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday and agreed to peace talks. Ukrainian officials say nine people were killed in the latest wave of airstrikes.KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.