Kyiv has contacted the US, SpaceX and NATO for clarification and asked SpaceX to restore the service terms arranged under a US government contract through May 15, 2027. The unannounced restrictions capped connectivity on Starshield, SpaceX's military satellite network operated under a Defense Department contract, at speeds above 100 mph (160 km/h), with Ukrainian units reporting dropouts of 10 to 20 seconds at 110 to 120 km/h and connection losses at 60 to 70 km/h. SpaceX and the White House have not commented on the limits, while a Pentagon spokesman referred questions to Trump's earlier remarks maintaining that the US is still sharing intelligence after Kyiv reported receiving no warning of Russian ballistic missile attacks.
While the speed caps have disrupted Ukrainian frontline logistics, midrange strikes in Russian occupied territory and interceptors targeting Russia's jet powered drones, strikes on Russian oil refineries are unlikely to be affected because Starshield was already barred over Russian territory, Ukrainian officials and defense executives told the Wall Street Journal. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, whose country spends about $50 million a year funding Ukraine's Starlink access, also rebuked Musk over the disruptions, writing, "As your European customers, we are watching you."