Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine
Source: The Wall Street Journal
EXCLUSIVE | WORLD
Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine
The SpaceX founder authorized the move and has been discussing Ukraine with Trump, but the president has denied ordering the restrictions
By Alexander Ward, Natalie Andrews and Josh Dawsey
Updated Oct. 20, 2026 at 4:38 pm ET
President Trump and Elon Musk at the White House in Washington last month. TIERNEY L. CROSS/PRESS POOL
WASHINGTON—Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration, U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter said.
Both Musk and President Trump have expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks, which the president blames for high energy prices. Last week, Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network, the people said, rendering some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless.
{snip}
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Read more: https://www.wsj.com/world/ukraine-starlink-elon-musk-trump-dbc49193
By
Mainecat ·
