Musk was replying to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said earlier Wednesday that Starlink connectivity was being restored at speeds up to 160 km/h (100 mph) and called removing the Starshield cap altogether "critical for Ukraine's defense." Ukraine's Defense Ministry said a 161 km/h speed limit remains in force even as connection quality up to 160 km/h improved following deeper drops to 60 to 70 km/h earlier in the day, adding that Kyiv remains in talks with international partners and SpaceX for stable service.
The overnight restrictions caught Ukrainian forces without warning at 1 a.m., disrupting midrange strike drones as well as interceptor drones used to shoot down Russian jet powered Shahed drones. Prior to the partial restoration, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Piers Morgan that he felt betrayed by US President Donald Trump and that SpaceX and Washington had blocked the terminals, warning that "this decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die."