Who ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine? New report reveals Elon Musk’s role

For the past few weeks, the relations between the US and Ukraine have been strained as the Trump administration showed a pivot towards Russia marked by a diesel deal with Putin and putting Russia sanctions on hold.

But this is not all. The issue of slowing down the Starlink speed limits also ignited the tensions as Ukraine heavily relied on Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. So the sudden restrictions affected Kyiv military and drone operations against Russia.

Earlier, Musk addressed this issue on X stating, “the decision to restrict Starlink services was not SpaceX’s. Every decision regarding the services’ speed and usage is often made by the US military and the President of America.”

The CEO of SpaceX added, “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately [the president of the US] POTUS.”

In response to Musk’s remarks, President Donald Trump not only defended himself or Elon Musk.

According to Trump, he did not think either ‌ he or Elon Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing Starlink access in a way that affected its military operations against Russia.

The reduction in services provided by the satellite ⁠company interrupted communications with headquarters and caused internet speeds to drop.

Now comes the new report which revealed who was actually behind this order of slowing down Starlink services in Ukraine.

According to the Wall Street Journal citing the US officials, Elon Musk was responsible as he ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service.

Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump spoke directly about the Starlink speed cap in a phone call shortly after the slowdown became public.

Several US officials held the view that Musk acted independently and that Trump did not explicitly command retribution against Ukraine.

A source familiar with the matter stated that Musk had engaged in discussions with multiple senior administration officials, including Trump, prior to implementing the speed cap.

However, Elon Musk has not yet responded to this report.