Elon Musk reportedly ordered restrictions on Ukraine’s access speed to Starshield, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the Pentagon had directed changes to the satellite service.

Wall Street Journal Says Musk Ordered Starshield Speed Limits for Ukraine

Ukraine’s Satellite Communications Come Under Scrutiny Amid US Policy Dispute

By News Desk On Oct 21, 2026

WASHINGTON: (News Desk) – Elon Musk ordered a reduction in the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to Starshield, a military-grade satellite communications service operated by SpaceX, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter.

The reported restrictions allegedly disrupted some of Ukraine’s drones, rendering them ineffective, according to the newspaper. The development comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over US support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Pentagon had not ordered any changes to Starshield services.

“We haven’t pulled anything back,” Hegseth said, adding that the department had issued no directives to alter the service.

US President Donald Trump also denied requesting restrictions, saying on Friday that he had not asked for the move and did not believe Musk had initiated it.

Musk had previously stated that any limits on the speed or use of Starshield systems would be decided by the US military and ultimately the president.

Ukraine reported restrictions affecting the service last week, shortly after Trump criticised Kyiv and urged it to stop targeting Russian oil refineries.

Starshield is the military-grade counterpart to SpaceX’s civilian Starlink satellite network. Ukraine relies on the service for battlefield communications, drone operations and strikes against Russian-occupied territory. The country also uses the civilian Starlink network.

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have become increasingly strained in recent days. Trump has called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced after criticising his response to a US deal that would allow more Russian diesel to enter global markets.

The reported Starshield restrictions have raised further questions about the reliability of Ukraine’s access to satellite communications as it continues to defend against Russia’s invasion.