Musk calls for Zelensky to leave amid Ukraine Starshield restrictions dispute

Elon Musk called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office amid controversy over speed restrictions affecting Ukraine's military satellite communications. Newsis reported that Musk made the comment in an October 15 reply on X to a post advocating Zelensky's departure. Yonhap also reported his call in coverage of the Starshield dispute. [ 5 , 6 ]

A day earlier, Musk said Starshield was owned and controlled by the US government and that all speed and usage limits were decided by US military authorities and ultimately the president. He contrasted it with Starlink, which he described as SpaceX's commercial service. Musk said commercial Starlink was limited to civilian or defensive activity and could not be used for offensive military operations. [ 1 , 2 ]

His explanation responded to former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said Starlink connections were recovering for movement at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour. Fedorov thanked Musk and asked for continued support, saying fully removing Starshield's speed limits was important for Ukraine's defense, Yonhap and Newsis reported. [ 1 , 2 ]

Newsis cited the Kyiv Independent as reporting that Ukraine's defense ministry said SpaceX retained a 161-kilometer-per-hour limit. The ministry said actual limits had been much lower during the day, but connection quality had subsequently improved for movement up to 160 kilometers per hour. A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the restrictions came without advance notice and caused missions to be canceled. [ 2 ]

The adviser alleged a connection to the political situation, but Newsis said he offered no evidence linking the restrictions to US pressure on Ukraine. Yonhap and Newsis also reported that Zelensky expressed regret over difficulties involving Starlink. The coverage describes Ukrainian reliance on satellite-connected drones, making the restrictions a concern for military operations. [ 1 , 2 ]