Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk Reportedly Limited Starshield, Affecting Ukraine’s Drones

Cristiana Dida

21 October 2026, 07:53

International

Foto: shutterstock.com

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Elon Musk allegedly ordered the speed of Starshield connections used by Ukraine to be limited, affecting the operation of some Ukrainian army drones, according to an investigation published by the Wall Street Journal. The information, attributed to U.S. officials and people familiar with the situation, contradicts the billionaire’s previous statements.

The measure allegedly rendered some drones unusable and reduced Ukraine’s ability to use satellite communications in military operations. Kyiv announced last week that its entire network connectivity capacity had been limited, at a time when the services are considered essential for defense against the Russian invasion.

The Pentagon denies having ordered changes to Starshield services. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that no directive to that effect had been issued. President Donald Trump likewise denied responsibility and said he had not requested that the network be restricted.

Previously, Musk had claimed that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that any limitation would be decided by the U.S. military and, ultimately, by the American president. Ukraine uses Starshield for communications on the front, medium-range attacks, and drone operations, as well as the civilian Starlink network, both of which are operated by SpaceX. The WSJ revelation heightens tensions between Washington and Kyiv over military support and control of space infrastructure.

Context: controversies surrounding Starshield escalated after allegations regarding restrictions and tensions over attacks and information sharing

Before further revelations, a bipartisan group of seven U.S. senators asked the inspector general of the Department of Defense to investigate the interruption of Ukraine’s access to Starshield, arguing that the incident had affected the ability to detect and intercept Russian drones and could endanger U.S. personnel in the region. The senators asked for clarification on whether decisions by the Pentagon or contractors had contributed and whether contractual provisions regarding communications continuity had been observed.

Also during the preceding period, Reuters reported, based on sources, that the order to limit Starshield’s operation had come from within the White House, and that the measure had been taken amid pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian refineries. At the same time, Ukraine requested explanations, while Musk publicly claimed that any slowdown or limitation of Starshield is decided by the U.S. government, not SpaceX, and that the decisions rest with the military or, ultimately, the president.

Before these discussions, the Ukrainian military reported that, on the night of October 14, the satellite service had been restricted in such a way that some missions were compromised, and the Ukrainians also raised the issue of military intelligence sharing. At the same time, Poland asked Elon Musk whether he was using Starlink for political purposes, and Musk refused to allow Starlink to be used to coordinate Ukrainian attacks on targets in Russia.