The restriction began last week and caps the service at about 100 miles per hour. Drones affected by it lose their satellite internet connection, which forces Ukrainian crews to fly them more slowly. One unnamed source describing the affected drones said that leaves them "easier to shoot out of the sky." Ukraine has warned that the throttling hinders its interceptors and puts civilian lives at risk.

"At present, we have not observed any lifting of the restrictions on Starlink," said Serhii Beskrestnov. He attributed the limits to "SpaceX's algorithms or specific conditions of use." A Ukrainian diplomat in the United States also said the Starshield and Starlink speed restrictions remain in place.

Reports say the slowdown followed public criticism from Trump and Musk of Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries. Accounts of who decided on the cap differ. US officials said Musk imposed it "unilaterally." Another source said that before acting, Musk consulted "multiple senior administration officials, including with Trump." Musk himself wrote on social media that the US government and the president control Starshield limits.

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have also been strained by reports that the United States temporarily suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. Separately, the United States lifted sanctions on Russia so that Russian diesel can be imported ahead of the midterm elections, according to reports.

Russia launched another overnight barrage against Ukraine, reported on Friday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that three-way talks among Russia, Ukraine and the United States are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi in November. Earlier negotiations broke down after Moscow demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the occupied territories, shrink its military and adopt a neutral status that rules out NATO membership.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned Ukraine's sovereignty. He cited unspecified genetic research to argue that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people." "The lands lost by Kyiv are not their territory, they are Russia's historical lands," Putin said.