Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of a version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network used by Ukraine in its war against Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported
on Tuesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter. According to the report, Musk imposed speed restrictions on Ukrainian equipment connected to the satellite-based network last week, leaving some Ukrainian drones virtually inoperable and potentially weakening Kyiv’s ability to counter Russian attacks. Two people familiar with the matter told the Journal that Musk and US President Donald Trump discussed the decision shortly after the slowdown became public. One source also claimed that Musk had spoken to several senior Trump administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the restrictions. The White House and an email address associated with Musk did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment on the report. Trump said on Monday that he did not know who had ordered the Starlink interruption but added: “But I’d like to find out.” The Journal reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public complaints about the restrictions and their potential impact on Ukraine’s defences had prompted an informal investigation within the White House. Musk had previously argued that the military-grade Starshield system, a version of Starlink, was controlled by the US government. In a post on X last Wednesday, he said Starshield was “owned and controlled by the US government” and that any restrictions on speed or usage were “decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS”. The reported slowdown comes amid strained relations between Trump and Zelensky, with both the US president and Musk having recently criticised the Ukrainian leader. Ukraine has relied on satellite connectivity for military communications and drone operations throughout its war with Russia. Restrictions on the network could therefore affect some of Kyiv’s battlefield capabilities, although the precise operational impact of the reported speed limits remains unclear. The report was published shortly after SpaceX released its latest quarterly earnings. The issue was not discussed during the subsequent conference call between Musk and investors, according to CNBC. The latest development adds to concerns in Ukraine and Europe about Kyiv’s reliance on US-linked technology and the potential consequences of changes to access during the ongoing conflict.
