Hillary Clinton
Clinton Urges Musk Not to Abandon Ukraine as Starlink Restrictions Disrupt Operations

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly appealed to Elon Musk on Wednesday to continue supporting Ukraine after Ukrainian forces reported sudden restrictions on satellite communications that disrupted drone missions.

"You've been an underdog and never quit fighting for your ideas," Clinton wrote on X, addressing the SpaceX chief executive. "Don't abandon Ukrainians as they fight for their lives and freedom against an aggressor." She linked to a Financial Times report on the connectivity issues and intelligence gaps.

Ukrainian military units said Starshield terminals, the military version of SpaceX's satellite network, began losing signal when moving faster than roughly 100 mph (160 km/h). The restrictions, which arrived without warning, affected several missions early Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials. Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov later said connectivity at speeds up to 160 km/h was being restored and called full removal of the limit "critical for Ukraine's defense."

Musk responded on X that 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." He distinguished the service from commercial Starlink, which he said is limited to civilian or defensive activities and "cannot be used for offensive military action."

President Donald Trump denied that the United States had cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "No, we haven't. We help them," Trump said. "We are helping them, we are sharing intel. We want the war to end." The White House and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the restrictions.

Ukrainian officials and European politicians questioned the timing, which coincided with tensions between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski asked Musk on X whether he was "playing politics with your products again." Republican Sen. Thom Tillis also urged Musk to clarify that any disruptions were unintended.

Starlink has been a key communications tool for Ukrainian forces since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. No independent confirmation of the technical cause of the restrictions was immediately available. The episode has renewed attention to the role of private satellite networks in wartime communications and the division of control between SpaceX and the U.S. government.