Ukraine Warupdated 27m ago2 min read
White House Orders Pentagon To Slow SpaceX Starshield For Ukraine’s Military
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White House instructed Pentagon to slow SpaceX Starshield, restricting Ukraine's military communications. Reuters cites two US officials and a Western official; decision originated in White House.
Starshield speed limit
Two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter told Reuters that leaders at the Pentagon received a message directing them to slow SpaceX’s Starshield service for Ukraine’s military, with the decision originating inside the White House. Ukrainian officials said military-grade Starlink receivers stopped working in Ukraine when mounted on fast-moving objects, interfering with the performance of Ukrainian drones that rely on these devices for onboard guidance systems over Ukrainian territory.
“No such request was ever made by the president.”
A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source said the receivers began working again while in motion but only at speeds not exceeding 100 mph (160 kph). Elon Musk said on X that Starshield systems are owned by and under the control of the U.S. government, and that any speed or usage limits are decided by the U.S. armed forces or the president.
Zelensky and Musk clash
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan that “People will certainly die if these attacks continue and Starlink does not work… I really hope this is a technical error, I don’t know, but we are demanding the restoration of the service.” Zelensky criticized the restrictions during an interview with Piers Morgan in Britain, saying “This decision will bring a lot of human losses.”
Elon Musk responded on X by writing that it is time for Zelensky to step down, and he added that if the Ukrainian president remains in office, the massacre will continue. A senior U.S. official told Reuters that “No such request was ever made by the president,” while the White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials might have made the request.
War pressure and fallout
The White House’s decision to restrict Starlink came as Washington pressured Kyiv to halt its drone attacks using Starlink on Russian oil refineries, according to Al-Jazeera Net’s account of Reuters reporting.
Russian authorities reported that Ukrainian drone and missile attacks hit a fuel refinery in the Ryazan region southeast of Moscow, and the Russian Defense Ministry said Kiev attempted a wide-scale attack on the Ryazan oil refinery, causing a fire.
Zelensky announced that his army would resume striking Russian oil refineries, stepping back from the energy ceasefire that President Trump had unilaterally announced.
U.S. President Donald Trump described Ukraine’s resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries as “shameful,” and he said, “Well, I think that’s shameful,” adding that they contribute to higher global energy prices.