White House may have ordered limits on Ukraine's Starshield system
Sources told Reuters that the order to restrict the Starshield satellite system, used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations, may have come from the White House. The restrictions complicated Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian forces. The military version of Elon Musk's Starlink, Starshield is owned and controlled by US authorities, with the Pentagon as its largest customer. Ukrainian officials said receivers stopped working on fast-moving objects, limiting drones to speeds under 160 kilometers per hour. A senior US official denied the order came from the president, saying no such request was ever made. The restrictions come amid deteriorating Kyiv-Washington ties, including Trump's controversial diesel deal with Russia and pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.