Elon Musk Allegedly Lowered Starlink Speed in Ukraine

According to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, Elon Musk reduced the speed of the military-grade Starlink version that Ukraine relies on. It was reported that this restriction negatively affected Ukraine's offensive and air defense drone operations against Russia.

According to a Wall Street Journal report published on Tuesday, Elon Musk ordered the military Starlink version used by Ukraine to be slowed down last week. Musk, SpaceX, and the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment, and Reuters could not immediately verify the accuracy of the report.

The report stated that following the disclosure of the restriction, U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk held a phone call last week to discuss the decision. According to the Journal, the two also discussed the matter before the decision to slow down Starlink was made.

Trump, who lifted sanctions on Russian diesel to ease pressure on fuel prices that have escalated since the Iran-U.S.-Israel war began in February, subsequently took a stance against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump told Kyiv to end its attacks on Russian oil refineries and called on Ukrainians to replace Zelenskyy.

Trump stated on Friday that he does not think he or Musk are responsible for Ukraine losing Starlink access in a way that would affect its military operations against Russia. Musk had previously stated that the use of the military version of Starlink, known as Starshield, is ultimately subject to Trump in his capacity as U.S. President.