{
  "id": 15807925,
  "title": "Elon Musk ordered the Starlink restrictions that disabled Ukrainian drones, defenses - report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musk-ordered-the-starlink-restrictions-that-disabled-ukrainian",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T22:18:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-912341"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "SpaceX first placed a limit on some services in Ukraine on October 13 without warning. Ukrainian officials at the time feared the move by Musk's company may have been made at the request of Trump.",
  "key_points": [
    "Elon Musk ordered Starlink speed restrictions on Ukrainian forces",
    "Restrictions implemented on October 13 without prior notice",
    "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims restrictions hindered defense"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/15807925.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Musk ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine: WSJ",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/musk-ordered-starlink-slowdown-in-ukraine-wsj",
        "published": "2026-10-20T20:42:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Elon Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown In Ukraine: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musk-ordered-starlink-slowdown-in-ukraine-report",
        "published": "2026-10-20T21:25:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Musk ordered slowdown of Starlink service Ukraine military relies on, report says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/musk-ordered-slowdown-of-starlink-service-ukraine-military-relies-on",
        "published": "2026-10-20T22:49:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Did Trump know Musk was about to restrict Ukraine’s military Starlink service? WSJ reports they discussed the decision afterward. Some sources say they also spoke beforehand.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/did-trump-know-musk-was-about-to-restrict-ukraines-military-starlink",
        "published": "2026-10-20T22:59:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}