Who capped Ukraine’s Starshield? “Ultimately POTUS,” Musk said. Ultimately Musk, reports now say
The Pentagon says it gave no order, and Ukraine’s drones were still losing their link above 160 km/h as of 20 October.
On 20 October, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that he had not issued any directives regarding the speed cap on Ukraine's Starshield system, according to CBS News. Musk had previously mentioned that such limits were decided by the US military and "ultimately POTUS," but Ukrainian officials reported that the cap, imposed on 14 October, had hindered their drones' ability to intercept Russian Shaheds and strike Russian forces in occupied territory.
The speed cap, which remains in place at approximately 160 km/h, renders air defense virtually impossible. Musk reportedly spoke with administration officials, including Trump, prior to implementing the cap, though some US officials claimed Musk acted independently, with Trump not specifically ordering the slowdown. SpaceX representatives reportedly reached out to White House counterparts to claim coordinated action between the company and administration before Musk's directive.
Last week, senators requested an investigation into whether any officials directed or authorized changes to Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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