According to media reports, Musk ordered Starlink to be throttled for Ukraine

War against Ukraine Musk is said to have ordered Starlink throttling As of: October 21, 2026 • 8:30 a.m

According to media reports, US technology entrepreneur Musk is responsible for the alleged restriction of satellite communications in Ukraine. If this is true, it raises some questions - including for US President Trump.

According to media reports, the founder of the US space company SpaceX, Elon Musk, is said to be behind the alleged throttling of the Starlink satellite internet for Ukraine. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal and CBS News, citing people familiar with the matter. Musk or SpaceX have not yet responded to requests for comment.

According to the report, Musk limited the speed at which Ukrainian devices could connect to the system. Ukraine uses Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. Restricting satellite service hindered attack and anti-aircraft drone missions. For about a week, Ukraine has repeatedly reported problems with the use of Starlink satellite internet.

Musk is said to have had several conversations with government officials leading up to the decision, CBS News reported. He therefore wanted to gain clarity about where US President Donald Trump stands on this matter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk and Trump then spoke directly to each other on the phone after the throttling.

When asked about the media reports, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the US government's responsibility. He can assure that neither the US President nor anyone else in the government has requested a change in the Starlink system. In addition, the president did not know anything about this in advance and could not give any instructions to the operator SpaceX and its boss, said Rubio.

In Ukraine it seems clear to many: the Starlink failures are not a coincidence, but politically desired. more

When Ukraine first made the problems with Starlink public, Musk denied responsibility for the process. On Platform Trump also said he had not ordered any restrictions. "It wasn't me" and he doesn't think Musk was responsible for it either.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's relations with Washington have deteriorated in recent weeks. Trump had announced an agreement to buy Russian diesel and waived new sanctions against Moscow. The US President had also urged the Ukrainians to replace Zelensky as president. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than four years.

This topic in the program: The First | daily news | Oct 21, 2026 | 01:40 amThe First | daily news | Oct 21, 2026 | 6:30 a.m