The SpaceX founder authorized the move and has been discussing Ukraine with Donald Trump, but the President has denied ordering the restrictions
WASHINGTON — Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration, U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter said.
Both Musk and President Trump have expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks, which the president blames for high energy prices. Last week, Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network, the people said, rendering some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless.
Musk and Trump discussed the Starlink decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public, while the president was campaigning last week, two of the people said. One of the people also claimed Musk and Trump discussed the matter prior to the decision to throttle Starlink.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public complaints—namely that Ukrainians could die if the unrestricted service wasn’t restored—led to widespread confusion about who ordered the slowdown, and to an informal investigation inside the White House.
During the uproar, SpaceX representatives called White House counterparts seeking a unified understanding and subsequent message that the company and Trump administration coordinated ahead of Musk’s directive, the people said.
Musk himself posted on X hours after the slowdown became public, “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” using the acronym for president of the United States. Trump told reporters Monday that he didn’t know who was responsible for the Starlink slowdown, “but I would like to find out.”
Some U.S. officials say that Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump didn’t specifically order any retribution against Ukraine. But a person familiar with the situation said Musk talked to multiple senior administration officials, including with Trump, before imposing the new speed cap, which Ukrainian officials said had allowed Russian missiles to evade their defenses.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration didn’t make any request for a throttling of Starlink. “There was no foreknowledge,” he told reporters during a visit to India.
The slowdown, which began on Oct. 14, followed several announcements and statements by the Trump administration that Ukrainian officials saw as hostile to Ukraine, including criticism of Zelensky from Trump and Musk. That led Kyiv to immediately suspect the order came either from the president or the world’s richest man.
The episode has spiked U.S.-Ukraine tensions to their highest level since Trump berated Zelensky in the Oval Office last year. But it has also highlighted the singular influence of Musk over the war, as Starlink provides a lifeline for Ukrainian forces on the front lines attacking Russian troops and defending themselves from strikes. With a seeming flick of a switch, Musk has the power to alter the course of a deadly conflict.
Michael Kofman, a war expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, noted that Ukrainian troops remain restricted in operating strike and interceptor drones up to 160 kilometers [99 miles] per hour, as current network speeds stay below 130 kilometers per hour—a limitation that continues to disrupt Ukrainian offensive actions and air defense operations.
Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, stated on Tuesday that Kyiv is still awaiting a formal response following leadership-level discussions with the Pentagon and SpaceX to clarify the situation and determine whether full connectivity has been or will be restored.
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.
Zelensky has additionally accused the Trump administration of briefly suspending intelligence sharing that previously assisted Ukrainian forces in tracking Russian missile launches and targeting deep within enemy territory. However, Trump and administration officials rejected the claims, with Rubio telling reporters Tuesday that such allegations are “not true.” Rubio, who spoke with Zelensky by phone earlier that day, later admitted “there’s no doubt” that tensions between Washington and Kyiv are escalating.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on Tuesday that “we haven’t pulled anything back,” while adding that “Starlink has the option to make decisions concerning its terms of service.” Speaking to reporters in Eau Claire, Wis., he emphasized, “We haven’t made any directives or anything like that.”
Zelensky traveled to Norway on Tuesday to meet with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and two other foreign leaders to discuss paths toward ending the war.
Friction between Trump, Musk, and Zelensky has intensified in recent weeks as the president focuses on lowering diesel fuel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. Although Trump attributes rising fuel costs to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, most military and economic analysts indicate that the conflict with Iran has had a far more significant impact.
On Oct. 10, shortly before Starlink speeds were throttled, Trump recounted telling Zelensky, “‘You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem.’ And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. He better damn well stop.
Musk responded to a White House video of those remarks on X: Zelensky has gone too far.” Four days later, Ukrainian reported that they were losing unrestricted access to the Starlink network for unexplained reasons, leading to the urgent requests from Kyiv for an explantion.