Trump Says neither He nor Musk Responsible for Ukraine Starlink Access
Ukrainian officials said the speed cap disrupted drone missions and cut off connections above 160 kilometers per hour, while SpaceX and Trump disputed responsibility.
- On Friday, President Donald Trump denied that he or Elon Musk were responsible for restricted Starlink access in Ukraine, stating, "And from what I understand, it's the same as it's always been."
- Ukrainian officials reported on Tuesday and Wednesday that SpaceX restricted Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink, without warning, impeding military operations and civilian defense against intensifying attacks by Russia.
- The restrictions cut off connectivity for drones or other vehicles traveling above 160 kilometers per hour; Starshield uses the Starlink constellation as its backbone, developed for United States government and Defense customers.
- Reuters reported on Thursday that the White House approved the reduction, while Musk pinned responsibility on President Trump; Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski criticized the move, stating, "As your European customers, we are watching you."
- SpaceX shares are down about 11% this week amid the service dispute; Musk serves as an advisor to the Pentagon on technology through Project Meridian, though the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
153 Articles
153 Articles
Speed cut from 400 to 70 km/h prevented Kiev from shooting Shahed drones. Trump says that "it wasn't him" or Musk. Zelensky admits that the system has not yet been fully returned.
Ukrainian drones have lost connection to the Starshield satellite service. Trump denies responsibility and casts doubt on whether there were any restrictions at all.
The president of the United States denied that he ordered a blackout of the defensive system, after the technical problems that Kiev went through.Musk had suggested a possible intervention by the US government in limiting the defense system, which uses Starlink technology.
Key news items in VOA's "Today's Focus" on October 17, 2026 include: President Trump stated that he is in talks with China and Russia to promote denuclearization; Ukraine stated that its military suddenly lost StarShield military communications services, and President Trump denied ordering any restrictions on StarShield; Texas, Michigan, and Maine are key states in the US midterm elections, and VOA provides updates on the midterm election situat…
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