Musk says any restrictions on Starlink access for Ukraine would apply to the United States, not his company

Ukraine says Starlink access has improved, but still faces speed limits that disrupt "missions" on the battlefield.

Elon Musk has suggested that the US government may be behind restrictions on the speed of movement of some Ukrainian weapons and connectivity to SpaceX's Starlink Internet network.

Starlink is a vital tool that allows Kiev to guide drones to Russian targets as well as protect its skies, but on Tuesday night Ukraine said unexpected new speed limits would disrupt its battlefield missions.

An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed the restrictions were not accidental and related to the latest tensions between Kiev and Washington.

Musk said that StarShield, Starlink's military sister service, is controlled by the US government and that "any limitations on speed or use are decided by the US military and ultimately [the US president]."

Musk - who writes on X - had responded to requests from Ukrainian officials to restore connectivity, including Zelensky, who told British media: "I hope it's a mistake, maybe (a) big technical problem. I don't know, but we want to…

Starlink, which is owned by Musk's SpaceX, capped speed limits on Tuesday night at 100 mph (160 km/h), meaning any weapon that lost contact with the network would fly faster than that.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's former defense minister, said it had been partially rebuilt by Wednesday evening.

The complete removal of the Starshield speed limit is now very important for the defense of Ukraine," he wrote on X, thanking Elon Musk and asking for his "continued support."

About an hour later, Musk responded to the post and defended his company's involvement.

"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limitations on speed or use are decided by the US military and ultimately by the POTUS."

Musk added that Starlink is for "civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action because it would be inappropriate for a commercial enterprise to do so."

While both companies are owned by Musk's SpaceX, Starlink is a civilian service that uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide Internet access, particularly in remote areas, while Starshield is designed for government and military use.

The restrictions came into effect Tuesday night as Russia launched deadly airstrikes against Ukraine that killed several people in Kiev and hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine's military, officials said.

President Zelensky said it was "one of Russia's biggest attacks" and that while "a significant proportion of drones were shot down", "there were also attacks".

At least 600,000 people across Ukraine are without power, and residents say they received no warning of the incoming drones before the impact.

Zelensky's advisor Serhii Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning: It is clear that this action cannot be accidental and is related to the current political situation.

US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Ukraine as it continues its attacks on Russian energy facilities.

During a trip to London on Wednesday, President Zelensky admitted that he felt betrayed after the US agreed with Russia to import 300,000 tonnes of diesel.

Asked by British journalist Pierre Morgan, Zelensky said: "Indeed yes ... but it's a bit more complicated than my feelings or emotions."

Zelensky was greeted with a hug and joined by King Charles during a day-long meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Downing Street.

Before the president's arrival, Number 10 announced that it would speed up the delivery to Ukraine of the lightweight multi-purpose missiles used to shoot down the Russian drones.

"We're behind you and that's not going to change," Burnham told Zelensky.