WASHINGTON / KYIV — Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service used by Ukraine’s forces, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials and people familiar with the matter.
The restrictions, imposed around October 14 without advance warning to Kyiv, capped connectivity for terminals moving at roughly 100 mph (160 km/h) or faster. As a result, some Ukrainian strike and interceptor drones lost connection mid-flight, disrupting attack missions, air-defense operations, reconnaissance, logistics and frontline communications.
Ukraine has relied heavily on Starlink (and its military counterpart, Starshield) for battlefield coordination and guiding drones against Russian targets. Ukrainian officials reported that several combat missions were cancelled or degraded after the sudden speed limits took effect overnight.
The Wall Street Journal said Musk and US President Donald Trump discussed the decision in a phone call soon after the slowdown became public, while Trump was campaigning. Some sources indicated the two had also spoken about the matter before the throttle was applied; others suggested Musk acted more unilaterally.
Musk had earlier stated on X that Starshield systems are “owned and controlled by the US government” and that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Trump has said he did not believe either he or Musk was responsible for the disruption.
SpaceX, Musk and the White House did not immediately comment on the latest report. Connectivity for some Ukrainian units was partially restored in the following days, though officials continued to push for the complete removal of speed restrictions, arguing that interceptor drones need reliable links at much higher speeds.
The episode occurred amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, with both Trump and Musk recently criticising aspects of Ukraine’s military strategy, including strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.