Musk and Trump discussed Starlink restrictions before the decision: what the media found out
Фото: Reuters
Elon Musk personally ordered a speed limit on the military version of Starlink used by Ukraine. The decision, according to sources, has affected the operation of Ukrainian strike and interceptor drones and caused confusion in the administration of US President Donald Trump.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the publication, last week Musk ordered to limit the speed of connecting Ukrainian military equipment to the satellite network. Because of this, some Ukrainian drones actually lost their effectiveness.
The decision has raised concerns in Kyiv and prompted an internal White House investigation. The situation has been complicated by public statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the risks to Ukrainians if Starlink service is not restored, adding to confusion about who ordered the system’s shutdown.
SpaceX representatives have been in contact with White House officials to coordinate positions and further public statements, the sources said. The sources said the company and the Trump administration coordinated their messaging even before the restrictions were imposed.
Musk himself, a few hours after reports of the Starlink slowdown appeared, wrote on social media that any restrictions would be determined by the US military. Trump, for his part, told reporters that he did not know who was responsible for the system’s failure, but would like to clarify the circumstances.
At the same time, some US officials claimed that Musk acted independently and did not receive orders from Trump regarding Ukraine. However, a source familiar with the situation told the WSJ that before the restrictions were imposed, Musk had spoken with several senior administration officials, including the US president.
Ukrainian sources also stated that Starlink restrictions allowed Russian missiles to bypass Ukrainian air defense systems. However, the publication does not provide detailed technical explanations in this fragment as to how the restriction affected the operation of the air defense.
We remind you that the operation of the Starshield satellite communication system has resumed and is gradually improving . The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine continues to investigate the reasons for the restrictions that arose the day before and is checking the speed of the system at the front.
As reported, Zelensky announced the resumption of Starlink operations within the next 48 hours . According to him, he discussed the issues of satellite communications, intelligence and Patriot systems with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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