The order to restrict the operation of the Starshield military satellite system for Ukrainian forces came from the White House, Reuters reports, citing two US officials and a senior Western official. According to them, the Pentagon leadership was instructed to slow down the service used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone control.
The sources, who spoke anonymously, did not specify who in the White House made the decision and who was responsible for its implementation. A senior US official denied that Donald Trump personally made such a request.
“The president has never made such a request”, the official said.The White House did not respond to a question about whether the order came from another member of the administration. After the interruptions, Ukrainian officials sought an explanation from the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon. According to a Ukrainian representative in Kiev, the restriction was reported to be a decision of the White House.
The restrictions affected Ukrainian drones
Ukrainian officials and the military said that the Starshield restriction had hampered strike missions against Russian forces, logistics in the occupied territories and the use of drones to intercept Russian “Shahed” drones.
The problems began on the night of October 13, when the Ukrainian military introduced sudden speed restrictions at the Starlink and Starshield terminals. According to data cited by “Ukrainskaya Pravda”, the systems stopped working at speeds above 160 kilometers per hour, and in some cases above 80 kilometers per hour. This has affected drones and other fast-moving platforms.
Starshield is the military version of Starlink, developed by SpaceX for government and national security agencies. Elon Musk said the system is owned and controlled by the US government, and restrictions on its speed or use are set by the Pentagon or the president.
Washington and Kiev give different explanations
U.S. officials have previously denied that the White House ordered the restriction and have pointed the blame at SpaceX. Reuters reports that the decision was made amid Trump's insistence that Ukraine stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, but does not cite evidence that the president ordered the measure.
Volodymyr Zelensky said that the restrictions on Starlink pose serious challenges to Ukraine's defense. In a separate report, Axios reported that Starlink and Starshield services had been restored to full capacity, but it was not clear at the time whether the restriction was ordered by Trump.
Sources: investing.com, axios.com