Musk restricts Ukraine's access to Starshield satellite network
Elon Musk ordered restrictions on Ukraine's access to the Starshield satellite network, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, following the billionaire's claim that any final decision would rest with Donald Trump. Musk limited connection speeds for Ukrainian equipment on the SpaceX-operated system, rendering some Kyiv drones unusable, according to anonymous US officials cited by the newspaper. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the Pentagon ordered no such change, and Trump stated Friday he made no request for restrictions. Ukraine relies on Starshield, Starlink's military-grade satellite service, for battlefield communications, medium-range strikes, and interceptor drones, while also using the civilian Starlink system. The report follows recent US-Ukraine tensions, including Trump's call to replace Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader criticized a US-Russia diesel agreement.