Musk Capped Ukraine’s Starlink Speeds, According to Report

Tech billionaire Elon Musk ordered a speed restriction on a military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service used by Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials.

Ukraine depends on Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations, meaning restrictions on the service affect both its offensive and defensive missions against Russia.

Musk imposed a speed cap last week on Ukrainian hardware connecting to the satellite network, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. The measure left some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless, according to the report.

Two people told the Wall Street Journal that Musk and US President Donald Trump discussed the decision during a phone call shortly after the slowdown became public.

According to the newspaper, some US officials believed Musk had acted independently and that Trump had not explicitly ordered retaliation against Ukraine. However, a person familiar with the matter said Musk had spoken with several senior administration officials, including Trump, before introducing the speed restriction.

Musk and Trump have both voiced anger over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks. Trump has blamed the strikes for driving up energy prices.

The report follows Trump’s remarks last week that he did not believe either he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing access to Starlink.

Musk had previously said that decisions to restrict the service’s speed or use were made by the US military or the president.

Musk, SpaceX, and the White House have not yet responded to the newspaper’s report.

Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, following what a US official described as “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway, as Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war.