Elon Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown for Ukraine, Report Says
According to The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of SpaceX's Starlink service used by Ukraine during its conflict with Russia. This decision reportedly capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could connect to the satellite network, affecting drone operations and other military functions. Two people told the Journal that Musk discussed this move with U.S. President Donald Trump shortly after it became public last week. Musk previously stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Starshield—the military-grade version of Starlink—is controlled by the U.S. government, with speed or usage limits decided by the US military and ultimately the president. The Journal also reported an informal White House investigation into Zelenskyy's complaints about weakened defenses due to this slowdown. The report emerged minutes after SpaceX released its latest quarterly earnings but was not mentioned during Musk’s subsequent investor call.
Topics: Donald Trump Elon Musk SpaceX Starlink Ukraine-Russia War