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← Signal: State & Power

Musk ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine, impacting military operations

Confirmed1 source · Oct 20, 2026

Elon Musk directed a reduction in Starshield military internet service to Ukraine, which officials say compromised the country's ability to respond to Russian attacks.

Musk ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine, impacting military operations
Image via The Hill

What happened

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of Starshield, the military version of Starlink internet service, in Ukraine. Ukraine reported that this disruption hampered its ability to respond to Russian attacks. The slowdown specifically impacted Ukraine's ability to operate drones, airplanes, and helicopters.

Context

Starshield provides critical communications infrastructure for Ukrainian military operations during its conflict with Russia. A degradation in this service directly affects Ukraine's operational capacity to coordinate and execute military responses, making the disruption strategically significant.

What's disputed

The excerpt does not clarify Musk's stated rationale for the slowdown, nor does it address whether Musk or SpaceX have responded to or disputed the account.