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[UPDATE] Ukraine's military Starshield satellite terminals stop working above 160 km/h; Musk says the U.S. military and Trump set the limit

A senior U.S. official told Axios the administration had nothing to do with it. The cap still stood Wednesday, Oct. 14, after a partial fix.

Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, Oct. 14, Ukraine's Starshield terminals cut out on anything moving faster than about 160 km/h (100 mph). Starshield is SpaceX's military-grade Starlink satellite internet, contracted for Ukraine through the U.S. government until May 15, 2027. The cutoff disrupted drone missions and air defense against jet-powered Shahed attack drones. Service below 160 km/h partly returned Wednesday, but the cap stayed. Who set it. Musk said Starshield is government-controlled and that limits are set by the U.S. military and "ultimately POTUS." He did not name who approved this one. A senior U.S. official told Axios the administration was not involved. The front. "The drones kept flying, but the interruptions made them harder to control," said Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps. Still open. No one has said on the record who ordered the cap, or whether it will be lifted.

PREVIOUSLY

On Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, the State Department and Pentagon warned Kyiv it could lose U.S. intelligence and NATO-run weapons purchases unless it stopped striking Russian energy sites. Then on two straight nights ending Tuesday, Oct. 13, Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv with no U.S. launch warning, killing one and hitting the Darnytska power plant. Trump said intelligence sharing continues.

Who in Congress and Kyiv demanded the Starshield cap end:

  • Ukraine Caucus co-chairs Marcy Kaptur (Rep-D Ohio), Brian Fitzpatrick (Rep-R Pennsylvania), Mike Quigley (Rep-D Illinois) and Joe Wilson (Rep-R South Carolina): limits that put civilians in harm's way "will not be accepted by Congress"
  • Jeanne Shaheen (Sen-D New Hampshire): the restrictions "must stop immediately," and the Pentagon must tell Congress at once if it pauses or downgrades intelligence sharing
  • Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, on X, tagging Musk: removing the speed limit entirely "is now critical for Ukraine's defense"