Elon Musk ordered a reduction in Starshield services for Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, following remarks by the SpaceX chief that any restrictions on the satellite communications system would ultimately have been decided by the US president.
According to the newspaper, which cited anonymous US officials and people familiar with the matter, Musk limited the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to Starshield, rendering some of Kyiv’s drones ineffective.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, said on Tuesday that the Pentagon had not instructed anyone to change Starshield services.
“We haven’t pulled anything back,” he said.
“Nothing’s changed from our view. We haven’t made any directives or anything like that,” Hegseth added.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump also denied requesting restrictions on Starshield.
“It wasn’t me. And I don’t think it was Elon,” Trump said.
Ukraine reported restrictions on the service last week, describing it as vital to its defence against Russia’s invasion. The reported disruption came shortly after Trump criticised Ukraine and urged Kyiv to stop targeting Russian oil refineries.
Musk had previously said that “any limits on speed or usage” of Starshield systems were decided by the US military and, ultimately, the president, referring to Trump.
Ukraine relies on Starshield, Starlink’s military-grade satellite communications service, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory and the operation of interceptor drones. Kyiv also uses SpaceX’s civilian Starlink satellite network.
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have grown increasingly strained in recent days. Trump has called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced after Zelensky criticised a US deal that would allow more Russian diesel to enter global markets.
