Ukraine says Musk’s satellite links are still throttled as Congress demands answers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s use of the SpaceX satellite system owned by Elon Musk remains partially restricted, despite earlier signs this week that access had been fully restored, Axios reported². The restrictions stop the Ukrainian military from using drones to intercept Russian attack drones and from using drones to supply soldiers on the front lines, Zelensky said².

Ukrainian officials are still trying to establish whether the restrictions follow a political decision by the Trump administration or a decision by Musk, and have heard different versions of events from the administration and from SpaceX executives². Zelensky’s own position is that the restrictions came from the US government, Ukrainska Pravda reported⁷.

Musk said on X that the US government is responsible for the system and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the United States, NPR reported¹. Starlink is a satellite internet network operated by SpaceX, which has served Ukraine since 2024¹⁰. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Saturday that Ukraine is without access to Starshield and that its future is under discussion, stressing that Starshield is distinct from Starlink⁶.

The political reaction

Representative Mike Turner called for a congressional investigation into the disruption of Starlink communications in Ukraine, saying lives are at risk, CBS News reported³. Representative Steny Hoyer called on SpaceX to restore Ukraine’s full Starlink access after the sudden restrictions⁵.

Ukrainska Pravda and Indy100, both citing The Telegraph, reported that Musk approached President Donald Trump with the idea of slowing Starlink operations in Ukraine, with the newspaper citing four sources familiar with the discussions^7,8. Neither SpaceX nor the White House is quoted in those accounts confirming it.

Radio Free Europe reported that Kyiv said on October 17 that the speed of Starshield connections had left Ukraine particularly vulnerable earlier in the week, as Russia pressed attacks on energy facilities⁴.

What to watch

The commercial question is now transatlantic. The Financial Times reported that the US ambassador to the European Union, Andrew Puzder, has warned Europe over moves that would shut SpaceX out of parts of the European market, a warning that followed European action⁹.

For anyone buying satellite capacity, the governance point is the one Kyiv cannot answer: whether service levels are set by a contract, a company or a government^1,2. A congressional inquiry, if Turner’s call is taken up, would be the first formal attempt to establish which³.