Ukraine Warupdated 57m ago3 min read
Elon Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown, Hampering Ukraine Drone And Air Defense Missions
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Musk ordered slowdown of a military-grade Starlink used by Ukraine for drones and battlefield comms. The speed cap reduced Ukrainian connectivity, WSJ citing US officials regarding the measure last week.
Starlink throttled in Ukraine
Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service that Ukraine relies on, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday citing US officials, and Reuters said the report could not be immediately verified. Ukraine used Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations, and Reuters said restricting the satellite service hampered Ukraine's attack and air defense drone missions against Russia. Reuters reported that Musk and US President Donald Trump discussed the Starlink decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public, while the Wall Street Journal report said Musk and Trump discussed it on a call soon after the slowdown became public.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine was unable to use its interceptors against Russian drone attacks as a result of the restrictions, and Zelensky said Ukraine had been told that they had been caused by technical issues. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that "We haven't pulled anything back" and said "nothing's changed from our view" as he addressed the Starlink and Starshield disruptions.
Who ordered it
Trump told reporters on Monday, "I don't know who it was, but I'd like to find out," as the administration and Musk offered competing accounts of responsibility for the Starlink slowdown. Marco Rubio told journalists on Tuesday, "There has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine," and Rubio also said he had had a 45-minute conversation with Zelensky on Tuesday. Musk posted on X that "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," and CBS News said Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order.
CNN said Ukraine accused Musk's SpaceX of severely hindering its defense by suddenly limiting its Starlink internet service, and CNN said it had not confirmed Reuters reporting that the White House sent a message to the Defense Department to slow down Starshield. Zelensky told NBC News on Sunday, "Of course the message came from government," while adding that SpaceX carried out the order.
Battlefield impact and next steps
Ukraine's top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that Ukraine was "waiting for the official response from contacts with the Pentagon and SpaceX at the leaders' level" to understand whether the connection had been restored. CBS News said there was no working alternative to Starlink and described Starshield as a military-grade satellite network made by SpaceX for the U.S. government and its partners, used for communication and strikes in Ukraine. CBS News reported that strike drones equipped with Starshield cruise at 160 km/h or higher, while Ukrainian units reported link drops at speeds as low as 90 km/hr, making those drones inoperable.
Reuters said Zelenskiy's relations with Washington have sunk to new lows after Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and waived new sanctions on Moscow, and Reuters said Zelenskiy was in Oslo to repair US relations. Zelensky wrote on X 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," and CBS News said the speed limits had prevented Ukraine from using Starshield to shoot down Shahed attack drones.