Musk mengatakan pemerintah AS mungkin berada di balik perlambatan kecepatan drone Ukraina

Elon Musk has suggested that the US government may be behind restrictions on the speed at which some of Ukraine's weapons can travel and stay connected to SpaceX's Starlink internet network.

Starlink is a vital tool allowing Kyiv to guide drones to Russian targets and also protect its own skies, but on Tuesday night Ukraine said unexpected new speed limits were disrupting its battlefield missions.

An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed the restrictions were not a coincidence and were related to the latest strains between Kyiv and Washington.

Musk said that Starshield, the military-grade sister service to Starlink, is controlled by the US government, and "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately [the US president]".

Musk - writing on X - had been responding to pleas from Ukrainian officials to restore connectivity, including from Zelensky who told UK media: "I hope that it's a mistake, maybe [a] huge technical problem. I don't know, but we are asking to... switch [it] on."

Starlink, which is owned by Musk's SpaceX, restricted speed limits on Tuesday night to 100mph (160km/h), meaning any weapons that travelled faster than that lost connectivity to the network.

It had been partially restored by Wednesday evening, Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

"Removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense," he wrote on X, thanking Elon Musk and asking for his "continued support".

About an hour later, Musk replied to that post, defending his company's involvement.

"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," he wrote.

Musk added that Starlink is for "civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company".

While both companies are owned by Musk's SpaceX, Starlink is a civilian service that uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access, particularly in remote areas, while Starshield is designed for government and military use.

The restrictions on Tuesday night came as Russia launched deadly attacks against Ukraine that killed several people in Kyiv, officials said, and hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine's military.

Zelensky said it was "one of the largest attacks" from Russia, and while "a significant part of the drones were shot down" there were "also hits".

At least 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity, and residents said they received no warning of incoming drones before they hit.

"It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation," Zelensky's adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning.

Watch: What we know about Russia's overnight strikes on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated towards Ukraine as it continues to strike Russian energy facilities.

Zelensky has said that the US threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign up to Trump's energy ceasefire, but on Tuesday, Trump denied this.

Speaking during a visit to London on Wednesday, Zelensky agreed that he had felt betrayed after the US made a deal with Russia to import 300,000 tonnes of its diesel.

"Really yes... but it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings," Zelensky said, when asked by UK journalist Piers Morgan if he felt betrayed.

During his one-day visit, Zelensky was greeted with a hug by UK PM Andy Burnham at Downing Street and held an audience with King Charles.

Ahead of the president's arrival, No 10 announced it would speed up delivery of lightweight multirole missiles to Ukraine, which have been used to bring down Russian drones.

"We are behind you and that will not change," Burnham told Zelensky.

Elon Musk menyarankan bahwa pemerintah AS mungkin berada di balik pembatasan kecepatan yang dapat ditempuh beberapa senjata Ukraina dan tetap terhubung ke jaringan internet Starlink milik SpaceX.

Starlink adalah alat vital yang memungkinkan Kyiv memandu drone ke target Rusia dan juga melindungi wilayah udaranya sendiri, tetapi pada Selasa malam Ukraina mengatakan batas kecepatan baru yang tak terduga mengganggu misi medan perangnya.

Seorang penasihat Presiden Volodymyr Zelensky mengatakan ia yakin pembatasan tersebut bukan kebetulan dan terkait dengan ketegangan terbaru antara Kyiv dan Washington.

Musk mengatakan bahwa Starshield, layanan saudara Starlink dengan standar militer, dikendalikan oleh pemerintah AS, dan "setiap batasan pada kecepatan atau penggunaan diputuskan oleh militer AS dan pada akhirnya [presiden AS]".

Musk - menulis di X - telah menanggapi permohonan pejabat Ukraina untuk memulihkan konektivitas, termasuk dari Zelensky yang mengatakan kepada media Inggris: "Saya berharap itu adalah kesalahan, mungkin [masalah] teknis yang besar. Saya tidak tahu, tetapi kami meminta untuk... menyalakannya."

Starlink, yang dimiliki oleh SpaceX milik Musk, membatasi batas kecepatan pada Selasa malam menjadi 100mph (160km/jam), yang berarti senjata apa pun yang melaju lebih cepat dari itu kehilangan konektivitas ke jaringan.

Batas itu telah dipulihkan sebagian pada Rabu malam, kata mantan menteri pertahanan Ukraina, Mykhailo Fedorov.

"Menghapus batas kecepatan Starshield sepenuhnya kini sangat penting bagi pertahanan Ukraina," tulisnya di X, berterima kasih kepada Elon Musk dan meminta "dukungan berkelanjutannya".

Sekitar satu jam kemudian, Musk membalas unggahan itu, membela keterlibatan perusahaannya.

"Sistem Starshield dimiliki dan dikendalikan oleh pemerintah AS. Setiap batasan pada kecepatan atau penggunaan diputuskan oleh militer AS dan pada akhirnya POTUS," tulisnya.

Musk menambahkan bahwa Starlink adalah untuk "aktivitas sipil atau defensif dan tidak dapat digunakan untuk tindakan militer ofensif, karena melakukan hal itu tidak pantas bagi perusahaan komersial".

Meskipun kedua perusahaan dimiliki oleh SpaceX milik Musk, Starlink adalah layanan sipil yang menggunakan satelit di orbit rendah Bumi untuk menyediakan akses internet, terutama di daerah terpencil, sementara Starshield dirancang untuk penggunaan pemerintah dan militer.

Pembatasan pada Selasa malam muncul saat Rusia melancarkan serangan mematikan terhadap Ukraina yang menewaskan beberapa orang di Kyiv, kata para pejabat, dan menghantam fasilitas komunikasi dan energi yang digunakan oleh militer Ukraina.

Zelensky mengatakan itu adalah "salah satu serangan terbesar" dari Rusia, dan meskipun "sebagian besar drone ditembak jatuh" ada "juga serangan yang mengenai sasaran".

Setidaknya 600.000 orang di seluruh Ukraina kehilangan listrik, dan warga mengatakan mereka tidak menerima peringatan tentang drone yang datang sebelum serangan terjadi.

"Jelas bahwa tindakan ini tidak bisa menjadi kebetulan dan terkait dengan situasi politik saat ini," tulis penasihat Zelensky, Serhiy Beskrestnov, di Telegram pada Rabu pagi.

Tonton: Apa yang kita ketahui tentang serangan Rusia semalam terhadap Ukraina

Presiden AS Donald Trump semakin frustrasi terhadap Ukraina karena terus menyerang fasilitas energi Rusia.

Zelensky mengatakan bahwa AS mengancam akan membatasi berbagi intelijen jika ia tidak menyetujui gencatan senjata energi Trump, tetapi pada Selasa, Trump membantahnya.

Berbicara selama kunjungan ke London pada Rabu, Zelensky setuju bahwa ia merasa dikhianati setelah AS membuat kesepakatan dengan Rusia untuk mengimpor 300.000 ton dieselnya.

"Benar ya... tetapi ini sedikit lebih rumit daripada sekadar emosi atau perasaan saya," kata Zelensky, ketika ditanya oleh jurnalis Inggris Piers Morgan apakah ia merasa dikhianati.

Selama kunjungan sehari itu, Zelensky disambut dengan pelukan oleh PM Inggris Andy Burnham di Downing Street dan mengadakan audiensi dengan Raja Charles.

Menjelang kedatangan presiden, No 10 mengumumkan akan mempercepat pengiriman rudal multiperan ringan ke Ukraina, yang telah digunakan untuk menjatuhkan drone Rusia.

"Kami berada di belakang Anda dan itu tidak akan berubah," kata Burnham kepada Zelensky.