Ukraine Accuses Elon Musk’s SpaceX of Disrupting Military Operations as Russia Pounds Energy Grid.

Ukraine has accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on its Starlink satellite internet service without warning, disrupting military operations at a critical moment in the war as Russia launches another wave of attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

The accusations emerged Wednesday as Ukrainian authorities reported widespread power outages following Russian missile strikes that damaged dozens of energy facilities and left at least 600,000 people without electricity in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.

Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, said SpaceX had introduced new speed restrictions on Starlink terminals operating in motion without notifying Ukrainian defense forces.

According to Beskrestnov, the restriction applies to StarShield, SpaceX's military-focused satellite communications service, and limits connectivity when terminals travel faster than approximately 100 miles per hour, or 160 kilometers per hour.

The measure has reportedly interfered with Ukrainian military missions that depend on reliable satellite communications. "It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation," Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram.

He also suggested that SpaceX may have implemented the restrictions at the request of the Trump administration. However, he provided no publicly verified evidence supporting that allegation, and neither SpaceX nor the White House had confirmed any such involvement in the account provided.

Starlink has become an essential component of Ukraine's wartime communications infrastructure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian forces use satellite internet to maintain communications in areas where conventional telecommunications networks have been destroyed or disrupted.

Restrictions affecting mobile terminals could complicate operations involving fast-moving military equipment, although the precise scope of the reported disruptions remains unclear.
The Starlink controversy unfolded alongside another Russian assault on Ukraine's energy network, challenging diplomatic efforts to establish a limited ceasefire covering electricity and fuel infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said Russian strikes damaged equipment at 26 power-system facilities and four oil and gas installations. "The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale – Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The Ukrainian president singled out a ballistic missile strike against energy infrastructure that he said should have been protected under the proposed agreement announced by Trump on Sunday.

The latest attacks also damaged a residential building in Kyiv, killing one person and injuring six others, according to Zelenskyy. He said Ukraine had received no warning of Russian ballistic missile launches for the second time this week, adding to concerns about the country's ability to anticipate incoming attacks.

Although Trump announced the initiative Sunday, neither Moscow nor Kyiv initially confirmed that a formal agreement had been reached. Ukraine subsequently expressed willingness to accept such an arrangement, while Russian officials maintained that discussions were continuing.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Moscow had not confirmed a finalized agreement and pointed to Zelenskyy's earlier statements seeking clarification about the proposal.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian military officials have provided additional details about the Starlink disruptions. Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps reported brief connectivity losses during drone flights, forcing some missions to be canceled. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source also said that Kyiv was contacting SpaceX, the United States, and NATO partners while examining alternative communications systems.