Reuters has learned who ordered the restriction of Starlink operations in Ukraine

An order to restrict the operation of the Starlink satellite system—which Ukraine uses for battlefield communications and drone control—came from the White House. This is according to a report published by Reuters.

 

According to two U.S. and one Western official, U.S. Department of Defense leadership received a directive to slow down the SpaceX Starshield service provided to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The officials did not specify who exactly in the White House made this decision or who is responsible for carrying out the order. The Pentagon is the largest customer of Starshield—the military version of the Starlink service.

Reuters reached out to another unnamed senior official for comment, but he denied that U.S. President Donald Trump could have been involved in this order.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the restrictions on Starlink’s operation for Ukrainian military drones in an interview with Piers Morgan. According to him, this could lead to significant casualties.

American entrepreneur Elon Musk explained who makes decisions regarding the use of the Starshield military satellite system. His statement came after reports of communication disruptions during the operation of Ukrainian drones.

In the U.S., SpaceX owner Elon Musk stated that decisions regarding speed limits or how the StarShield systems are used are made by the U.S. Armed Forces, with President Donald Trump having the final say.