WSJ: Elon Musk personally ordered Starlink restrictions for Ukraine
The Wall Street Journal has written that Elon Musk ordered the speed of the military version of Starlink to be reduced in Ukraine, leaving some Ukrainian attack and interceptor drones practically unusable.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing sources
Details: The WSJ noted that both Musk and US President Donald Trump have expressed dissatisfaction with Ukraine over its strikes on Russian oil refineries in recent weeks. Trump sees these attacks as a reason for high energy prices.
Sources told the WSJ that Musk was behind the restriction of the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to the satellite network last week, rendering some attack and interceptor drones practically useless.
Two sources said Musk and Trump had discussed the decision on Starlink during a phone call shortly after news of the speed restrictions became public.
One source also claimed that Musk and Trump had discussed the issue even before the decision to restrict Starlink speeds was made.
Public complaints by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said Ukrainians could die if unrestricted access to the service was not restored, led to widespread confusion over who had ordered the speed reduction and an unofficial investigation at the White House.
According to the sources, as the controversy unfolded, SpaceX representatives contacted their counterparts at the White House in an attempt to reach a common understanding and issue a joint statement saying that the company and Trump's administration had coordinated their actions before Musk issued the order.
Hours after news of the speed reduction became public, Musk wrote on X (Twitter): "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 journalists on 19 October that he did not know who was responsible for reducing Starlink speeds, "but I would like to find out".
Some US officials claim that Musk had acted unilaterally and that Trump had not specifically ordered any retaliatory measures against Ukraine.
However, a source familiar with the situation said Musk had spoken to several administration officials, including Trump, before introducing the new speed restriction. Ukrainian officials said the restriction had allowed Russian missiles to bypass their air defence systems.
Background:
- Reuters reported earlier that the order to restrict Starshield, a satellite system Ukraine uses for battlefield communications and to control interceptor drones, came directly from the White House.
- US Republican Senator Thom Tillis is seeking an investigation into the Pentagon's actions with regard to problems with Starlink satellite communications systems encountered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.