WASHINGTON — An order to limit Ukraine’s use of Starshield, a U.S. military satellite system, came from inside the White House, according to two U.S. officials and a Western official who spoke to Reuters. The officials did not say who gave the order.
The restriction cut into Ukraine’s battlefield communications and drone operations before access was restored. President Donald Trump says he did not order it.
What Reuters reported
Starshield is the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, and it uses the Starlink satellites as its backbone. The Pentagon is its biggest customer. Reuters reported on Oct. 15 that Pentagon leaders were told to slow the service for Ukraine’s military. The officials did not name who in the White House made the decision or who carried it out, according to the Reuters report.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters that no such request was ever made by the president. The White House did not say whether other administration officials might have made the request.
What Ukraine says happened
Ukrainian officials and military units began reporting problems on the morning of Oct. 14. Terminals mounted on fast-moving drones stopped working properly, and some missions were disrupted. Kyiv called officials at the White House, State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday and Wednesday and was told it was a White House decision, a senior Ukrainian official told Reuters.
By Oct. 15, Ukrainian media reported that Starshield had fully resumed for the country’s armed forces. Reuters later reported that connectivity was restored for moving terminals at speeds up to 100 mph. Ukraine is asking for a higher speed limit, about 280 mph, so interceptor drones can chase faster Russian drones.
Musk and Trump respond
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said this week that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that limits on it are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president. The Telegraph reported, citing a source, that Musk approached Trump about slowing the service. That account has not been confirmed by the White House.
Trump told reporters on Friday: “It wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon.” He added that he did not know if it was anyone.
Why it matters
The dispute comes during a tense stretch in relations between Washington and Kyiv. Trump has criticized Ukraine for striking Russian oil refineries. On Friday he also signed an order waiving new sanctions on Russia, which we covered in our report on the Russia sanctions waiver.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has asked for an investigation into the Pentagon’s actions on the Starlink problems.
What is not known
- Who in the White House gave the order.
- Whether anyone at SpaceX was involved in the decision.
- Whether any more limits are planned.
This story will be updated as the White House or the Pentagon provides more information.
