Order to Slow Ukraine’s SpaceX Starshield Came from White House

The White House directed restrictions on the Starshield satellite service used by Ukraine’s military, according to officials briefed on the decision, disrupting drone operations as Washington increased pressure on Kyiv over attacks on Russian refineries.

Two U.S. officials and a Western official told Reuters that Pentagon leaders had received instructions to slow the SpaceX service.

They did not identify who within the White House issued the order or who carried it out.

The account places the decision within the administration during a period of worsening relations with Kyiv.

A senior Ukrainian official said attempts to clarify the restrictions with senior American counterparts produced the same answer: the decision came from the White House.

Asked about the order, a senior U.S. official said: “No such request was ever made by the president.”

The White House did not answer questions about whether another administration official had requested the restrictions, according to Reuters.

Drone Operations Disrupted

Ukrainian officials said military satellite terminals had stopped functioning aboard fast-moving platforms, affecting drones that depend on the connection for guidance over Ukrainian territory.

The disruption complicated attacks on Russian troops and supply networks in occupied areas.

It also hampered interceptor drones deployed against incoming Russian Shahed drones, the officials said.

By Thursday, a person in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the terminals were functioning again during movement, but only at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, or 160 kilometers per hour.

Starshield is SpaceX’s government and national security service, built on the Starlink satellite network. The Pentagon is its largest customer.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said Wednesday on X that the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield systems, leaving the military or the president to decide on speed and usage restrictions.

SpaceX, the Pentagon and Ukraine’s embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Pressure Over Russian Refineries

The restrictions coincided with President Donald Trump’s campaign to persuade Ukraine to end attacks on Russian refineries.

Trump has blamed those strikes for rising energy prices that threaten Republican prospects in November’s midterm elections.

Experts attribute most of the price surge to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has prompted Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure and largely closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Disagreements sharpened at an October 9 meeting in Miami attended by Ukrainian, American, and European representatives, as well as the World Bank.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff expressed frustration over Kyiv’s continued refinery strikes despite Washington’s repeated demands, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The American delegation also defended a deal that would let Russia supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to U.S. and international markets.

Washington hoped the arrangement would make Moscow more receptive to peace negotiations.

Some U.S. lawmakers have criticized the agreement, arguing it gives Russia additional revenue without securing concessions from President Vladimir Putin.

Relations Deteriorate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the diesel decision as “weak.”

Trump subsequently demanded elections in Ukraine and called for Zelensky’s removal.

American officials also privately threatened to withdraw intelligence on Russian missile launches, information Kyiv uses to counter attacks, Reuters previously reported.

Trump said Tuesday that intelligence sharing was continuing.

Ukrainian officials sought explanations for the Starshield restrictions through calls to the White House, State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday and Wednesday.