NBC News reported Wednesday that “Ukrainian officials and military units on Wednesday accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of throttling a technology at the heart of their battlefield communications and drone operations.”
Several members of Congress including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), demanded answers about the restrictions and called for Ukraine’s access to be restored, with Tillis appealing to Musk directly online.
[NOTE: Hillary Clinton also pleaded with Musk on Ukraine’s behalf, centering her appeal on Musk’s own personal history, citing times when he had, like Ukraine, “been an underdog.”]
While American politicians were seeking answers from Musk, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s former Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister, thanked Musk on social media for restoring Starlink access.
Fedorov wrote on Wednesday: “Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.”
Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored.
Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense.
Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) October 14, 2026
Musk, who has echoed President Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine “get a new leader” to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky, responded to Fedorov: “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.”
Former spokesperson for the U.S. Departments of State and Justice, Matthew Miller, responded to the exchange: “Days like today show why daily press briefings really matter for accountability. No one at the WH, the Pentagon, or the State Dept out at a podium to answer basic factual questions about what the U.S. govt did or didn’t do here.”
Days like today show why daily press briefings really matter for accountability. No one at the WH, the Pentagon, or the State Dept out at a podium to answer basic factual questions about what the U.S. govt did or didn’t do here.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) October 14, 2026