Musk Says He Ordered Ukraine Starlink Throttle; Vance Hints at White House Role

For more than a week, Ukrainian forces lost drones and saw missions stall because satellite links slowed down. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Starlink and Starshield speeds were restored, saying recovery began overnight and was complete by Saturday morning.

Elon Musk wrote on X that SpaceX caused the slowdown. He said the limits were imposed because Ukrainian forces used Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes. "Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be," Musk wrote. He said the military violated terms of service and that the loophole closed last week.

Musk also said the U.S. government controls any changes to Starshield, the military-grade link Ukraine uses for drone operations and communications. He defended SpaceX's role in strengthening Ukraine's defenses since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The question of who ordered the slowdown split the Trump administration. Vice-President JD Vance hinted at White House coordination with Musk. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any administration involvement. President Donald Trump said he did not make the call but also that Musk should not be blamed.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington for the restoration. "for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications," Khmara said of the outcome.

The dispute unfolded as U.S. diplomats pushed to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month. Kyiv and Moscow also agreed on Friday to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the southern Kherson region, brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump. Ukrainian officials reported a missile attack on Lozova in the Kharkiv region that killed one person and wounded two others, and Ukraine's General Staff said it struck an electronics plant in Oryol that makes missile components; local officials there said three people died.