WASHINGTON: SpaceX boss Elon Musk said Wednesday that any disruptions reported by Ukraine in using the Starshield satellite communications system would be the responsibility of the US government, not his company.
"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," Musk said, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Musk drew a distinction between the Starshield system, which Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications, and the parallel Starlink civilian satellite system, which Ukraine also deploys but is not allowed to use for offensive operations. Both were designed by Musk's SpaceX.
Musk was responding to a post on X by Ukraine's former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said that "Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored," but that "removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense."
Fedorov then thanked Musk for his "continued support."
Ukrainian defense officials have suggested Washington is behind slower speeds reported on some internet terminals that help the country's military hit Russian-occupied territory and operate interceptor drones.
Ukraine has also accused the US of helping Russia by failing to warn it of incoming missile strikes, with Kyiv hit by ballistic missiles for two nights in a row before air raid sirens could sound to warn people to take cover.
Opposition Democrats in the US Senate and House denounced the Trump Administration over the reported interrupted connections.
"Trump's making a choice -- and it directly aids Putin's slaughter of Ukrainian civilians," House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said in a post on X, describing restrictions as "unconscionable" while Ukraine faced an onslaught of Russian drones and missiles.
In the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, top Democrat Jeanne Shaheen said the "restrictions on Ukraine's access to Starshield must stop immediately," adding that "lives are at stake."
Shaheen also said that the defense department is required to notify "Congress if it pauses or downgrades intelligence sharing with Ukraine," and called on Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to immediately provide that notification if there are changes.
Republican Senator Tom Tillis also voiced concern, posting on X: "Supporting Ukrainian sovereignty -- or at the very least, allowing for it -- should not be a gray area for the US government or for American corporations."
Trump, facing key midterm elections next month in which fuel prices are a major issue, has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for the squeeze on supplies and increase in prices at the pump.
A senior official in Kyiv confirmed that the US had in recent days threatened to stop providing intelligence about Russian missile launches that Ukraine uses to thwart attacks.
Trump denied doing so on Tuesday.