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Ongoing6 earlier updates6 days

This story has run 7 times over 6 days, starting Oct 15.

  1. UpdateUkraine's military Starshield satellite terminals stop working above 160 km/h; Musk says the U.S. military and Trump set the limit
  2. UpdateTwo U.S. officials and a Western official say the order to cap Ukraine's Starshield terminals came from the White House
  3. UpdateTrump denies ordering speed caps on Ukraine's Starshield terminals; nine senators ask Pentagon watchdog who did
  4. UpdateZelensky says Ukrainian road tests show Starlink and Starshield cut out above 161 km/h only inside Ukraine
  5. UpdateBessent declines three times to say whether Ukraine is a U.S. ally; Zelensky says backing Putin would be a 'historic mistake'
  6. UpdateTrump administration has not approved Patriot interceptor transfers to Ukraine, including from European allies' stocks
  7. UpdateMusk personally ordered last week's slowdown of Ukraine's Starshield military satellite service, WSJ reports — this issue
THE WALL STREET JOURNALUpdate

Musk personally ordered last week's slowdown of Ukraine's Starshield military satellite service, WSJ reports

Russia-Ukraine war
Political Guyentist · October 21, 20263 min read

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Trump says he doesn't know who ordered it; one Journal source says Musk raised the cap with Trump and other senior officials before imposing it.

The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, reported on Tuesday, Oct. 20 that Elon Musk personally ordered last week's slowdown of Starshield, the military version of Starlink. The cut hit Ukraine's drones, airplanes and helicopters, blindsided Kyiv and confused the administration.

The contradiction. On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Musk wrote on X that any speed or usage limits are "decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." The Journal says the order was his, which also contradicts the Oct. 15 account from other unnamed officials, who pointed to the White House. Neither Musk nor the White House immediately answered CNBC or The Hill, and the report went unmentioned on SpaceX's earnings call that evening.

Did Trump know? One Journal source says Musk raised the cap with senior officials, Trump included, before imposing it; two say the two men talked soon after it became public. Trump said on Monday, Oct. 19 that he did not know who ordered it, "But I'd like to find out."

The Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any Pentagon directive: "We haven't pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to, and that's where Starlink has the option to make those decisions."

Congress. Ruben Gallego (Sen-D Arizona) told Musk: "you don't have to wait for a subpoena, you can just come in on your own."

Catch upwhat happened before · 6 earlier issues
  • Oct. 10 — After Trump said Ukraine should stop hitting Russian diesel refineries and that it was time for a new Ukrainian president, Musk posted on X: "Zelensky has gone too far" (CNBC, Kyiv Post).
  • Oct. 14 — Ukraine's Starshield terminals began cutting out above roughly 160 km/h; Musk said the U.S. military and Trump set the limit.
  • Oct. 15 — Two U.S. officials and a Western official said the order came from the White House; Thom Tillis (Sen-R North Carolina) sought a Pentagon watchdog probe.
  • Oct. 16 — Trump denied that he or Musk ordered the caps; nine senators asked the Pentagon inspector general who did.
  • Oct. 17 — Zelensky said road tests showed cut-outs only inside Ukraine; before the cap, drones flying 400 km/h stayed connected.
  • Oct. 18 — Zelensky called the slowdown and a brief intelligence pause a "message from American government"; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called that "reckless."
  • Oct. 19 — Zelensky told senators Ukraine has "almost no" U.S. Patriot interceptors left; a new package awaits Hegseth's signature.
5 earlier issues

What we’re less sure of2 of 5 claims