Elon Musk chose to restrict Ukraine's access to SpaceX's military satellite network last week, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that significantly slowed a service Ukrainian forces use to operate strike and interceptor drones.1,3
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the order, citing U.S. officials. The Journal said Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the network, and that the change rendered some offensive and interceptor drones virtually useless. Musk did not reply to a request for comment.1,3,5
CBS News reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials before the order and wanted clarity on the president's thinking on the matter. CBS also said Musk has expressed distaste with his company being seen as profiting from the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. The Journal reported that Musk and President Donald Trump discussed the decision on a call soon after the slowdown became public, and that one person familiar with the situation said Musk spoke with several senior officials, including Trump, before imposing the cap. Other U.S. officials, the Journal reported, believed Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not specifically order retribution against Ukraine. The New York Post's headline described the move as made without consulting the White House, an account that differs from the Journal's description of a call with Trump.1,2,3
Musk licenses the technology, known as Starshield, to the U.S. government, and in a post on X last week he wrote: "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." It is not clear from the reports how the order was carried out.1
Trump said Monday that he was seeking details on who ordered the slowdown. "I don't know who it was, but I'd like to find out," he said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon had not restricted the service. "We haven't pulled anything back," Hegseth told reporters. "There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to. And that's where Starlink has the option to make those decisions, but nothing's changed from our view. We haven't made any directives or anything like that." He added that "we wish the Ukrainians, obviously, success."1
Ukrainian officials and soldiers told CBS News that the military experienced sudden difficulties with Starshield equipment, including a throttling effect that made it harder to fly fast-moving drones on missions. Sources in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said SpaceX had unilaterally imposed the restrictions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News on Sunday that limits remained on Ukraine's Starshield service, and he said the maximum speed was 161 km/h. Zelenskyy wrote on X last week that "the Russians are trying to take advantage of the problems with Starlink in Ukraine, as our interceptor drones depend on this connection among other things."1
According to CBS, regular Starlink terminals have a speed cap of 70 km/h, above which the internet degrades and becomes unusable in a moving vehicle. Starshield has no artificial speed cap and is known to work at speeds of at least 160 km/h, which CBS said is the speed at which strike drones using it cruise. Ukrainian units reported link drops at speeds as low as 90 km/h, making those drones inoperable. An analysis by Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone pilot and analyst in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, estimated the degradation has cost Ukraine tens of millions of dollars in losses, CBS reported.1
Starshield is a military-grade network that SpaceX builds for the U.S. government and its partners, running on technology similar to the civilian Starlink service. The U.S. government pays to use it and controls who can access it. Its use has been limited to Ukraine and occupied territories, and it is not available in Russia. There is no working alternative to Starlink, and no direct competitor comes close, according to CBS.1,3
Lawmakers from both parties reacted quickly. A bipartisan group of senators asked the Defense Department's internal watchdog to investigate the restrictions last week. Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" over the weekend: "There needs to be an investigation, we need to find out who these people are because lives are at risk and lives are lost over these things." The Washington Examiner reported a warning from Warren of an "enormous risk" to the United States if Musk throttled Starshield.1,6
The slowdown comes amid broader tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Zelenskyy has said in recent days that Russia struck Ukraine without warning from the U.S., and that deliveries of key interceptor missiles have slowed. A senior Pentagon official told CBS News on Monday that there had been "no change to Department of War policy regarding intelligence sharing or any capabilities we are enabling Europeans to provide to Ukraine." CBS reported that Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Zelenskyy in recent weeks, accusing him of not doing enough to seek an end to the war.1
Trump argues the war is responsible for high energy prices, and his administration waived restrictions earlier this month on buying Russian diesel to ease pressure on prices. The Journal, as summarized by DW, reported that Musk and Trump have both expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks, which Trump blames for high energy prices.1,3
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about "the situation with Starlink/Starshield, which needs to be restored." The Journal reported that the slowdown was one of several points of friction, and CBS said its requests for comment to the White House and the Pentagon were pending. Musk has not publicly addressed the Journal's account.1,3