Elon Musk ordered Starlink's slowdown in Ukraine amid strained Trump-Zelenskyy ties? What we know

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump of restricting Starlink's military-grade service, Starshield, due to recent strikes targeting Russian diesel refineries. Weeks ago, Zelenskyy questioned whether the limitation was ordered by Trump or Musk, following the slowdown of Starlink in Ukraine.

Both Musk and Trump have denied responsibility, but US officials stated that Musk set a speed limit for Ukrainian devices using Starlink, leaving some attack drones nearly useless. Musk later acknowledged that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the President. The slowdown began on October 14, following hostile statements from the Trump administration towards Ukraine, including criticism of Zelenskyy.

Days before the slowdown, Trump suggested that Ukraine should not attack Russian refineries, leading to widespread confusion about who ordered the slowdown. Ukrainian officials claim the restriction allows Russian missiles to evade their defenses. The incident has heightened tensions between the US and Ukraine to their highest level since last year.