Report says White House ordered limits on Ukraine’s military Starlink; Trump denies it
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An order to restrict Ukraine’s access to Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, came from inside the White House, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
The restrictions cut satellite connections on equipment moving faster than about 100 mph, which Ukrainian officials say disrupted drone operations, including efforts to intercept Russian attacks. Ukrainian troops began reporting problems with their terminals on Oct. 14.
President Trump denied any role. “Well, I don’t know if it was anybody, because it wasn’t me. And I don’t think it was Elon,” he told reporters, adding that he was “not even sure” the service had stopped working. A senior administration official told Axios the White House had nothing to do with the restrictions.
The report comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Washington has started sharing intelligence with Ukraine again, after a dispute over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Based on reporting by Reuters, Meduza, Ukrainska Pravda. File photo: a Ukrainian soldier sets up a Starlink terminal. Photo: Support Forces of Ukraine Command / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
