Ukraine says Elon Musk choked internet speeds ahead of Russian attack

Ukraine says Elon Musk choked the country’s internet speeds ahead of a Russian attack, leaving the country vulnerable to a massive barrage of strikes on important infrastructure.

"In terms of scale, this is one of the largest attacks," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement Wednesday, Oct. 14. "It is clear that the Russians are trying to take advantage of the problems with Starlink in Ukraine, as our interceptor drones depend on this connection among other things."

Starlink is the Elon Musk satellite internet program the country has heavily relied upon since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. 

According to Zelenskyy, the Kremlin launched "wave after wave of drone attacks throughout the day and night today" on Oct. 14, just days after President Donald Trump and Putin announced a deal to bring Russian diesel fuel to the United States. Critics, including some Republicans, have slammed the deal as a boost to Putin’s war effort with little payoff for Americans at the pump.

Top Zelenskyy advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov blamed the restricted satellite internet speeds on Musk’s SpaceX, "our defense forces received no warning about this restriction, and it led to the disruption of a number of missions."

Musk however said that any apparent internet disruption would come not from SpaceX but the White House. 

"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," said Musk in a statement, referring to Starlink’s special program for military defense coordination.

USA TODAY has reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment. 

The apparent choking of Ukraine’s internet speeds comes in the wake of Trump’s deal with Putin and as the president lashes out against Zelenskyy calling him a "Dictator without Elections" while declining to call Putin a "dictator."

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian attack saw Russia launch hundreds of drones on Ukraine, "striking energy infrastructure, logistics, and railways."

"We managed to shoot down a significant number of the drones, but some got through," the Ukrainian wartime leader said.

Zelenskyy called Trump’s deal with Putin a "betrayal."