Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House: Reuters reports
Officials say the White House ordered temporary limits on Ukraine’s Starshield service, affecting drone operations amid rising U.S.-Kyiv tensions.
The White House instructed SpaceX to curtail the Starshield satellite system, which Ukraine's military utilizes for battlefield communications and drone operations, according to a Reuters report on Thursday, citing U.S. and Western officials. Defense Department officials were allegedly informed to moderate the SpaceX Starshield service for Ukrainian forces, though the specific individual responsible for the directive or its execution was not disclosed.
The Pentagon, being the largest consumer of Starshield—a military-grade variant of SpaceX's satellite communications service Starlink—was impacted by the restriction. Ukrainian officials had earlier reported that Starshield receivers ceased functioning in Ukraine when mounted on fast-moving objects, thereby affecting Ukrainian drones that relied on the receivers for onboard guidance systems over Ukrainian territory, and impeding frontline operations for Kyiv.
The restriction took place as President Donald Trump has urged Kyiv to cease its strikes on Russian refineries, attributing surging energy prices to these attacks, which he claimed could harm his Republican Party's prospects in the November midterm elections. Trump also announced a diesel supply deal with Russia, a move that drew criticism from Ukraine and U.S. lawmakers.
Despite this, Ukrainian officials claimed they received no intelligence from the U.S. or Western allies regarding a recent Russian missile attack on the country, a claim Trump refuted. This report was AI-generated and reviewed by an editor.
Written by urgent.news from Investing.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
