WSJ: Elon Musk Personally Ordered Slowdown of Ukraine's Military Starshield Internet

Ukrainian soldiers with a military drone at night (file photo)

A bombshell Wall Street Journal report has thrown Elon Musk into the center of Ukraine's war effort, claiming the billionaire personally ordered a slowdown of Starshield — the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service that Ukraine depends on. The report, published Tuesday, says the speed restrictions began around October 14 and left some of Ukraine's attack and interceptor drones nearly useless, hampering the country's ability to defend against Russian missile strikes.

The revelation has sparked a war of words in Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted on October 20 that the United States issued no order to restrict the service, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that access decisions rest with SpaceX and Musk under a private commercial contract. Musk himself has previously claimed any limits were decided by the US military and "ultimately POTUS." President Donald Trump said last week he didn't think either he or Musk was responsible — but the Journal says the two discussed the decision on a call.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Oslo for talks with US officials, raised the issue directly with Rubio on Tuesday, saying service "needs to be restored." With winter approaching and Russia's attacks continuing, Kyiv is now hunting for workarounds — and lawmakers in Washington are asking how one man gained so much control over an ally's battlefield communications.

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