Pentagon denies throttling Starshield in Ukraine, report blames Musk
The Pentagon has denied responsibility for reported restrictions on Starshield satellite services in Ukraine, with a new report attributing the throttling to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Musk had previously blamed the US government for the slowdowns. According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk ordered limits on connection speeds for Ukrainian devices, rendering some drones inoperable. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the Pentagon made no changes, and President Trump denied issuing any restrictions. Kyiv has accused Washington of deliberately slowing transmission speeds, a claim the US denies. Starlink and Starshield are vital for Ukrainian military communications and drone operations, amid deteriorating US-Ukraine relations.