KYIV, Ukraine, Oct. 14, 2026 - Elon Musk says the US government, not SpaceX, controls the limits placed on Starshield, the military version of Starlink used by Ukraine's armed forces.^[1][2] Starshield is SpaceX's military-grade service, built on Starlink technology with additional encryption for government use.^[3] Musk said any limits on its speed or usage are decided by the US military and the president.^[4] Ukrainian personnel reported that SpaceX restricted front-line service without warning on the morning of 14 October,^[5] and the restrictions hit the Starshield terminals used for drones.^[6] Ukraine said the limits hindered drone strike missions and air defence operations.^[7] A senior US official, however, said the Trump administration had no role in the constraints.^[8] SpaceX has since restored service for Starlink terminals moving at high speed,^[9] but Ukraine's Defence Ministry says a speed limit of 161 km/h remains.^[10] Musk says Starlink is a commercial service limited to civilian or defensive activities.^[11] Impact Insight. Satellite constellations now carry military traffic as well as civilian internet, which makes who controls them a question of policy as much as engineering. There is no direct link to asteroids or comets: the story matters here as part of the growing role, and crowding, of satellites in near-Earth space.