U.S. President Donald Trump said the White House did not order this week’s restrictions on SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services used by Ukraine’s military. He told reporters he had not made such a decision and that, from what he understood, the service was operating “the same as it’s always been.”
Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday and Wednesday that SpaceX had limited access to Starshield without prior notice. They said the move disrupted some military operations and weakened efforts to protect civilians as Russian attacks intensified.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on X that any restrictions on Starlink or Starshield in Ukraine would have come from a decision by the president or the White House. He added that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.”
Ukrainian forces have long relied on Starlink and Starshield for drone data links and other communications. According to the report, the restrictions cut connectivity for drones or other vehicles moving above 160 kilometers per hour.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Telegram that the armed forces had received no warning and that several missions failed as a result. Poland’s deputy prime minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, also criticized Musk on X, noting that Poland has bought Starlink services from SpaceX for Ukraine.
The Telegraph reported Friday that Musk had approached Donald Trump with the idea of slowing Starlink in Ukraine. Reuters said Thursday, citing two U.S. officials, that the order to restrict the service came from the White House, without identifying who issued it. Against that backdrop, SpaceX shares are down about 11% this week, with quarterly results due on Tuesday.
