SpaceX founder Elon Musk ordered restrictions on a military-grade satellite communications network used by Ukrainian forces, disrupting drone operations and triggering confusion within the Trump administration, according to a new report.
Musk ordered a slowdown of Starshield, a military-grade version of the company’s Starlink satellite network that Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. The restrictions reportedly rendered some Ukrainian attack drones and interceptor drones virtually useless, hampering the country’s ability to strike Russian forces and defend against aerial attacks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that decisions regarding Ukraine’s access to the network belonged to SpaceX and Musk, rather than the White House, and denied having advance knowledge of the move.
“I’m not aware that we knew about this decision beforehand. But that’s irrelevant,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to India. “The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at.”
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The Daily Wire reached out to SpaceX for comment.
The secretary’s comments came after the Journal reported that Musk and President Donald Trump discussed the restrictions after they became public. One source familiar with the matter also told the newspaper that the two discussed the issue before the slowdown took effect. Some U.S. officials, however, believe Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not specifically order retaliation against Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces began experiencing problems with the network around October 14. The restrictions affected drones that depend on high-speed connectivity to operate over long distances, including interceptor drones used to shoot down Russian attack drones. Ukrainian officials warned that the disruptions could cost lives as Russia continued its attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces were attempting to exploit the connectivity problems, warning that Ukraine’s interceptor drones depended on Starlink and related technology to defend the country.
The disruption prompted similar confusion within the Trump administration. According to the Journal, SpaceX representatives contacted White House counterparts as officials sought to establish a common understanding of the decision and how to explain it publicly.
Musk had previously suggested that any restrictions on the military-grade network would ultimately be determined by the U.S. government. In a post on X last week, he wrote that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
Trump, however, told reporters Monday that he did not know who had ordered the slowdown but wanted to find out. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also denied that the Pentagon had directed the restrictions, saying the company had the option to make decisions under its terms of service. “We haven’t made any directives or anything like that,” Hegseth said Tuesday.
The distinction between Starlink and Starshield has also contributed to the confusion. Starlink is SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet service, while Starshield is a military-grade system developed for government use. Ukraine’s military has relied on SpaceX satellite technology for communications and drone operations, and no direct competitor offers a comparable global network at similar scale.
The slowdown came amid worsening tensions between Trump and Zelensky, particularly over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for contributing to elevated fuel prices and has urged Zelensky to stop targeting them.
On October 10, Trump said he had told Zelensky, “You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem.” After Zelensky continued attacks on Russian energy facilities, Musk responded to a White House video of Trump’s remarks by writing, “Zelensky has gone too far.”
The dispute has unfolded alongside other disagreements over American support for Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have accused the Trump administration of temporarily restricting intelligence assistance that Ukraine uses to track Russian missile launches and conduct strikes.
Neither Musk nor SpaceX had publicly provided a detailed explanation of the restrictions.
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