DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States government deciphers the throttling of Starlink as a symptom of the rift between Trump and Zelensky, beyond the technical glitch, while Musk shifts the responsibility to the president.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The system would cut out when a drone exceeded 160 km/h, sometimes as low as 80 km/h, according to Ukrainian officials cited by Axios.
- 02
Musk: Starshield's limits are decided by the US military and "ultimately POTUS" (CNBC).
- 03
Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed a restoration up to 160 km/h and called for the total lifting of Starshield's limit (CNBC).
ANALYSIS
Washington, October 15, 2026. The American press is treating the throttling of Starlink less as a technical incident than as a new chapter in the rift between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to NBC News, Serhii Beskrestnov, Zelensky's advisor for defense technologies, indicates that SpaceX imposed a speed limit on moving terminals overnight. "Our defense forces received no warning, which led to the failure of several missions," he writes on Telegram. A unit in the Zaporijjia region had to cancel operations. Axios specifies that the system would shut down when a drone exceeded 160 km/h, and sometimes as low as 80 km/h.
The political context dominates. Axios links the episode to Trump's deal on Russian oil, which Zelensky criticized before the American president called on Ukraine to elect a new leader. NBC reports that the usual alert was missing before two Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kiev. American officials cite a technical glitch, but Kiev sees it as a possible warning from the administration. A high-ranking American official assures that the administration had nothing to do with the restrictions.
On Wednesday, Elon Musk responded on X that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government" and that any speed or usage limit is decided by the American military and, "ultimately," by the president. Starlink, he adds, is only used for civilian or defensive activities. CNBC notes that some of the restrictions have been lifted: former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk for a reestablished connection up to 160 km/h, while judging the complete lifting of the Starshield limit "critical".
Vox pushes the political reading: Trump would be taking it out on Ukraine in anger over energy prices before the midterm elections. The site notes that Ukrainian strikes on refineries have less of an impact on prices than the disruptions in the Strait of Ormuz related to the war against Iran. CNBC recalls that a Russian attack on the power grid left at least 600,000 people without electricity in Kiev and Kharkiv, despite the "energy ceasefire" announced by Trump.
