US officials have said that Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine. The decision caused panic in Kyiv and left Ukraine vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has been "betrayed" by US President Donald Trump after a key part of his country's defences against Russia went down. He claimed that Mr Trump and ally Mr Musk deliberately blocked Ukraine's access to Starlink overnight after the Ukrainian military faced slowdowns in speed.
Starlink's Role in Ukraine
The satellite internet service is operated by SpaceX, Mr Musk's aerospace company. It provides high-speed broadband globally and is used by Ukraine for military communications and drone operations.
Mr Zelensky said that Ukrainians could die if the unrestricted service was not restored. There was confusion about who ordered the slowdown on October 14 and an informal investigation inside the White House was conducted.
Speed Cap Details
The Wall Street Journal has reported that last week, Mr Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network, rendering some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless.
The internet slowdown followed several statements by the Trump administration and Mr Musk that Ukrainian officials saw as hostile to the country, leading Kyiv to immediately suspect the order came either from the president or the world's richest man.
White House Coordination
It is understood that the two powerful Americans discussed the Starlink decision in a call shortly after the slowdown was made public, two of the sources said. One source also claimed the pair discussed the matter prior to the decision to throttle Starlink.
SpaceX representatives called the White House seeking a unified understanding and subsequent message that the company and Trump administration coordinated ahead of Mr Musk's directive, the sources said.
Official Responses
Mr Musk wrote in a post on X - which he also owns - hours after the slowdown became public. He said: "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
Mr Trump told reporters that he did not know who was responsible for the Starlink slowdown, "but I would like to find out." Some US officials have said that Mr Musk acted unilaterally and that Mr Trump did not specifically order any retribution against Ukraine. One person familiar with the matter said Mr Musk talked to multiple senior administration officials, including with the US president, before imposing the new speed cap.
Mr Trump and Mr Musk's animosity toward the Ukrainian leader has grown in recent weeks, as the president looks to lower diesel prices ahead of November's midterm elections. Mr Trump has blamed Ukraine's attack on Russia's energy facilities for the elevated prices, most analysts say the Iran war has had a greater impact.
