The SpaceX founder authorized the move and has been discussing Ukraine with Trump, but the president has denied ordering the restrictions.
President Trump and Elon Musk at the White House last month. Tierney L. Cross/PRESS POOL
- Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, rendering some Ukrainian drones virtually useless.
- The slowdown followed anger from Musk and President Trump over Ukraine attacking Russian diesel refineries, which Trump blames for high energy prices.
- Trump told reporters he didn’t know who was responsible for the slowdown, while some U.S. officials said Musk acted unilaterally.
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- Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, rendering some Ukrainian drones virtually useless.View more
WASHINGTON—Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration, U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter said.
Both Musk and President Trump have expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks, which the president blames for high energy prices. Last week, Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network, the people said, rendering some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless.
Musk and Trump discussed the Starlink decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public, while the president was campaigning last week, two of the people said. One of the people also claimed Musk and Trump discussed the matter prior to the decision to throttle Starlink.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public complaints—namely that Ukrainians could die if the unrestricted service wasn’t restored—led to widespread confusion about who ordered the slowdown, and to an informal investigation inside the White House.
During the uproar,SpaceXrepresentatives called White House counterparts seeking a unified understanding and subsequent message that the company and Trump administration coordinated ahead of Musk’s directive, the people said.
Musk himself posted on X hours after the slowdown became public, “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” using the acronym for president of the United States. Trump told reporters Monday that he didn’t know who was responsible for the Starlink slowdown, “but I would like to find out.”
Some U.S. officials say that Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump didn’t specifically order any retribution against Ukraine. But a person familiar with the situation said Musk talked to multiple senior administration officials, including with Trump, before imposing the new speed cap, which Ukrainian officials said had allowed Russian missiles to evade their defenses.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration didn’t make any request for a throttling of Starlink. “There was no foreknowledge,” he told reporters during a visit to India.
The slowdown, which began on Oct. 14, followed several announcements and statements by the Trump administration that Ukrainian officials saw as hostile to Ukraine, including criticism of Zelensky from Trump and Musk. That led Kyiv to immediately suspect the order came either from the president or the world’s richest man.
The episode has spiked U.S.-Ukraine tensions to their highest level since Trump berated Zelensky in the Oval Office last year. But it has also highlighted the singular influence of Musk over the war, as Starlink provides a lifeline for Ukrainian forces on the front lines attacking Russian troops and defending themselves from strikes. With a seeming flick of a switch, Musk has the power to alter the course of a deadly conflict.
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