Elon Musk ordered the Starlink restrictions that disabled Ukrainian drones, defenses - report

Elon Musk is reportedly responsible for the speed restrictions placed on the military-grade version of Starlink used by Ukrainian forces, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The restrictions were first imposed on October 13 without prior notice, leading Ukrainian officials to believe the decision may have been influenced by the US President, Donald Trump.

The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, later revealed that the restrictions had prevented Ukraine from effectively using its interceptors against Russian drone attacks. Musk has stated that the US military and US President ultimately decide on any speed or usage limits related to Starlink. However, some US officials claim that Musk acted independently of any order from Trump, having communicated with senior administration officials, including Trump, before implementing the new speed cap.

The strained US-Ukrainian ties have been exacerbated by accusations from both sides, with Trump accusing Zelensky of sabotaging peace efforts and Zelensky accusing the Trump administration of withholding intelligence. Despite these tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that there is no deliberate political directive to harm Ukraine.

Zelensky highlighted the ongoing issues with Starlink and Starshield satellite services during a recent 45-minute conversation with Rubio. Trump has also criticized Zelensky for attacking Russian diesel refineries, while Musk has publicly agreed with Trump's criticism. Ukraine remains uncertain about the future of their Starlink connection and awaits an official response from US Pentagon and SpaceX contacts at the highest level.