Elon Musk personally ordered a slowdown in Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite network, according to US officials, a move that briefly left the country more vulnerable to Russian attacks with what was effectively the flip of a switch.
The SpaceX founder has publicly attributed the confusion surrounding the decision to Donald Trump. Access to the satellite communications system has since been restored.
But officials familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal and CBS News that Musk was the person who made the call.
The decision reduced the connection speed available to Ukrainian equipment using Musk’s satellite network.
As a result, some Ukrainian military strike drones and interceptor drones were unable to function effectively.
Michael Kofman, a war analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Ukrainian forces were still being “throttled” in their ability to use both strike drones and drones designed to intercept incoming threats.
A person familiar with the episode said Musk discussed the proposed action with Trump before carrying it out. Other sources said the billionaire also spoke with several administration officials as he sought to gauge the President’s position.
Two other people said Trump and Musk spoke after the slowdown became public, but maintained that the President did not direct the move and that Musk acted independently.
According to US officials, Elon Musk was behind a slowdown in Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a crucial satellite communications system, leaving the country more exposed to attack.
The change restricted the speed at which Kyiv’s military equipment could connect to Starlink as Musk and Trump continued criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Musk’s decision may have been influenced by his reluctance to appear to be financially benefiting from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington said Tuesday that Kyiv was “waiting for the official response” from senior contacts at the Pentagon and SpaceX. The government is seeking clarity on what happened and whether its Starlink connection has been fully restored or will be restored.
Our News Outlet has contacted the White House and SpaceX for comment.
Musk wrote on X last week that any alteration to Starlink would have required Pentagon approval and, ultimately, authorization from the US president.
Trump has rejected claims that he ordered Starshield, the SpaceX-developed version of the system, to operate at reduced speeds after Musk made the assertion.
Trump, who called for Zelensky’s resignation last week, also accused the Ukrainian leader of rejecting terms he said had been presented during their contentious televised confrontation in the Oval Office in February 2025.
Relations deteriorated further earlier this month after Trump unexpectedly announced a diesel agreement with Russia. The move was part of his effort to bring down oil prices, which had surged during his war with Iran.
The President told Congress that the agreement served the national interest, reversing legislation he had signed only the previous month and which was named in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky deteriorated sharply earlier this month after the President announced a surprise diesel deal with Russia as part of an effort to curb oil prices pushed higher by his war with Iran.
Sources claim Elon Musk proposed slowing Starlink’s service in Ukraine, potentially weakening the country’s ability to detect and intercept Russian drone and missile strikes.
Trump has also refused to blame Putin for starting the Ukraine war – putting him at loggerheads with Britain and other allies over the conflict.
Ukraine reacted with dismay after Trump also waived sanctions against Russia’s war machine and appeared to once again pivot to Putin.
The feud spiraled as Zelensky accused Trump of weakness, and then alleged that the United States was deliberately withholding vital intelligence and delaying the delivery of vital interceptor missiles.
The Ukraine war was triggered after Putin ordered the invasion of Russia’s neighbour in 2022.
Vladimir Putin ordered up to 200,000 troops into Ukraine in an attempt to overthrow its pro-Western government.
Since then, Ukraine has suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths while missiles and drones regularly rain down on the capital Kyiv.
Starlink satellites, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, provide high-speed internet to Ukraine’s military.
It is vital for communications on the battlefield and effective drone warfare.
Russia strikes on the Ukraine capital of Kyiv back in August
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With Starlink, Ukrainian drones can stay connected to operators over long distances and counter Russian drones.
But on Tuesday night, Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the speed at which drones could fly while maintaining internet connection.
Connectivity had been restored by Wednesday evening.
Starlink uses satellites to provide connectivity to almost anywhere in the world. While Starlink is for civilian use, Starshield is its military-grade sister service, designed for the Pentagon.
The US government has allowed Ukraine to use Starlink and Starshield in its defence against Russia.
It hampered Kyiv’s ability to protect itself from incoming Russian drone attacks.
Late Monday, Zelensky and the United States hailed ‘very productive’ talks in Oslo on Tuesday amid efforts to draw a line under a bitter feud between Kyiv’s leader and Trump over the war with Russia.
After talks with Trump’s envoys in the Norwegian capital, Zelensky thanked Washington for the resumption of US intelligence of looming Russian strikes on civilian targets and energy plants.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is now due to head from Oslo to Russia for talks with Putin on Wednesday in a bid to end Russia’s four-year-old war on Ukraine.
