Ukrainian troops lost Starlink access for a day. Elon Musk and the Trump White House both deny responsibility.

On October 14, Ukrainian troops started reporting disruptions to Starshield, the military variant of Starlink, a crucial satellite network for communication with drones. Serhii Beskrestnov, a presidential adviser, noted that the issue couldn't be accidental and linked it to ongoing political tensions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

The next day, Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed the Starshield system was back online. Meanwhile, the United States offered no explanation for the outage. Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the situation, stating it was a grave mistake that could lead to unnecessary casualties and called for restoration of Starlink access. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, managed the satellite network, asserting the systems were under U.S. government control and any limitations were dictated by the military and ultimately the President.

The White House neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the disruption. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis expressed skepticism about a lack of transparency from the Defense Department and advocated for an Inspector General investigation. Meduza, a Russian news outlet, reported the events and their sources, maintaining editorial standards and welcoming feedback on any inaccuracies.