President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented what he described as evidence that Ukraine’s military Starlink service was deliberately disrupted, escalating a dispute over Elon Musk’s role in limiting the internet network used by Kyiv’s drones.
Starlink, the satellite internet network operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has become a vital part of Ukraine’s battlefield communications. Its high-speed connection helps Ukrainian forces operate drones and respond to Russian missile and drone attacks.
Speaking to reporters via WhatsApp, Zelensky said Starlink difficulties were still being reported on Saturday. He claimed testing showed that the system was operating at reduced speeds in Ukraine compared with neighboring European Union countries.
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian drones using Starlink were able to travel at up to 180km/h (112mph) inside the EU. In Ukraine, however, the connection reportedly failed once the aircraft exceeded 160km/h (99mph).
“The conclusion is clear: the restrictions are active within Ukraine but not within the European Union,” Zelensky said. “In other words, this is a planned operation.”
US President Donald Trump rejected the accusation on Friday, insisting that his administration had not intervened to reduce internet speeds in Ukraine.
“We didn’t do that,” Trump said. “We didn’t slow it down at all.”
The denial followed reports that Musk had urged Trump to impose speed restrictions, with sources claiming the US president had agreed to the proposal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has presented evidence that Ukraine’s military Starlink service was disrupted
Sources claim Elon Musk proposed limiting Starlink speeds in Ukraine to Donald Trump, potentially affecting the system’s ability to support attacks against Russian drones and missiles
Musk, the billionaire SpaceX founder, has publicly pointed the blame at Trump over the turmoil surrounding the decision to restrict Kyiv’s access to the satellite communications network.
However, people familiar with the discussions told The Telegraph that Trump had backed Musk’s suggestion to impose speed limits on Starshield, the military-focused version of SpaceX’s satellite communications technology.
The Starlink connection enables Ukrainian drones to remain in contact with their operators over considerable distances, helping them identify and counter Russian unmanned aircraft.
That capability was thrown into question on Tuesday night, when the system abruptly began restricting the speed at which drones could travel while remaining connected.
Although the connection was reportedly restored by Wednesday evening, Zelensky said problems had continued into Saturday, The Times reported.
The speed limits forced Ukraine’s military to pause some operations, according to Zelensky, who warned that the disruption was weakening the country’s air-defence capabilities.
The warning came after Russia targeted around 15 major power-generation and electricity-transmission sites on Friday night.
Zelensky said Russia launched more than 320 Shahed drones overnight, alongside cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and other munitions.
The dispute has intensified as relations between the Ukrainian and US presidents continue to deteriorate.
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An artilleryman with the Special Rifle Police Battalion in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region sets up a Starlink satellite internet system
Donald Trump on Friday denied slowing down internet speeds over Ukraine
Donald Trump passed an executive order late last night blocking the sanctions on oil and gas exports which were due to take effect tomorrow, a move the Kremlin hailed as ‘historic’.
The order was made just one week after making a deal with Putin to stock the US with over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel.
Mr Zelensky criticised the move in social media posts on Saturday. He said: ‘The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me. And it definitely helps only the Russians. It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people. This certainly does not stop the war.’
He added: ‘A US sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin — all of this only encourages him to keep attacking.’
Mr Trump’s administration had earlier warned Kyiv’s officials that if Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries were not halted Washington would retaliate by shutting off some of its support for Ukraine.
Mr Trump also suggested Mr Zelensky should be replaced as Ukrainian president, claiming he is ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’.
Mr Trump has also refused to blame Putin for starting the Ukraine war – putting him at loggerheads with Britain and other allies over the conflict.
When asked whether he had forgotten that it was the Russian leader who started the war, Mr Trump did not respond directly and implied it was not straightforward.
He said: ‘I know the details, OK, and at some point I’ll release the details.
‘But I don’t care anything except for one. I want that war ended.’
And while the US-Ukraine relationship frays, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has announced that Britain will join Germany and France in a major military exercise in Poland next month.
Speaking in Washington DC, Mr Streeting said: ‘Ukraine is the front line for freedom everywhere, and it’s absolutely vital that they prevail against Putin’s aggression.
‘We’re planning for the peace and freedom we want to see through our leadership of the coalition of the willing.’
The drill is aimed at ensuring Nato forces are ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the war is over.
With 1,500 troops taking part, the exercise will simulate moving troops and supplies, such as food and fuel, and was agreed at a coalition of the willing summit in July.
Meanwhile, Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine continues, with Kyiv reporting further strikes on Friday and this morning, wounding civilians, damaging homes and disrupting power supplies.
Russia has regularly targeted Ukraine’s energy grid in the lead-up to winter in an effort to ‘weaponise’ freezing temperatures, and officials in Kyiv have warned Moscow is stockpiling missiles for more attacks over the coming months.