The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that a slowdown in SpaceX’s Starlink network was triggered by an order from CEO Elon Musk. The report cited unnamed US officials and other sources. It said Musk spoke to some Trump administration officials, including the President, before imposing the speed cap.
The move reportedly limited Ukraine’s access to the satellite service. This hurt its ability to run both defensive and offensive drone missions against Russian forces. Ukraine uses Starlink to keep its drones connected. These include drones that intercept Russian attack drones and drones used to strike Moscow.
The disruption reportedly lasted a day this week. Ukrainian commanders cited in the report said drones were lost and missions failed. Russia has kept attacking Ukraine, including civilian targets, so drone-based defence is key to Kyiv’s efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the failure to warn Kyiv before heavy Russian strikes late Tuesday and into Wednesday. He called it “completely unjust”. He also accused Moscow of deliberately breaking what Donald Trump had called an “energy ceasefire”. Ukrainian officials suggested the US may have been involved in the reduced speeds on some Starlink terminals. A senior official told AFP, “It’s obvious they (the United States) are helping Russia for some reason.”
Zelensky later posted on X that he had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said the early-warning system was now working. He called the dialogue constructive and said the morning began with positive signals from the American side.
Musk said the US government, not SpaceX, is responsible for any limits on Ukraine’s use of Starshield. He said, “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.”
