Elon Musk ordered restrictions on data transmission speeds through Starshield, the military version of Starlink, which Ukrainian forces rely on for military operations, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump had expressed frustration in recent weeks over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. The newspaper said restrictions were imposed on data speeds to Ukraine last week, affecting the effectiveness of some attack and interceptor drones.
Sources said Musk made the decision independently, without an order from Trump. The restrictions reportedly affected Ukrainian offensive operations as well as air defense missions against Russian attacks.
The report added that Musk and Trump discussed Starlink during a phone call after news of the restrictions emerged. The two had also discussed the issue before the decision was made. Trump said on Friday that he did not believe he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing access to the service in a way that affected its military operations.
Musk had previously indicated that the use of Starlink’s military version ultimately falls under Trump’s authority as president of the United States.
Zelensky Announces Resumption of Intelligence Cooperation With Washington
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that intelligence sharing with the United States had resumed, allowing Kyiv to receive advance warnings of Russian strikes.
Zelensky said the resumption followed talks with U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with whom he spoke by phone earlier in the day.
The Ukrainian president stressed the importance of early-warning systems, particularly for detecting ballistic missiles. He said advance alerts help protect civilians, including children, from the dangers of attacks.
Zelensky expressed appreciation for the resumption of intelligence cooperation with Washington, emphasizing the importance of the warning system for Ukraine as the war with Russia continues.
