The order to limit SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service used by Ukraine for military communications and drone operations reportedly came from inside the White House.
The Reuters website reports this, citing two US officials and one Western official informed about the matter.
According to sources, US Department of Defense leaders were told that the Starshield service intended for the Ukrainian armed forces would have to be slowed down. The officials, who spoke anonymously, did not say who in the White House made the decision or who was charged with implementing it.
Ukrainian officials reported this week that military-grade satellite receivers had stopped working when mounted on fast-moving objects, affecting the performance of drones that use them for onboard guidance systems. On Thursday, a source in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that the devices had resumed working on the move, but only up to a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
The restrictions have complicated missions against Russian forces and logistics infrastructure in the occupied territories, as well as slowed down interceptor drones deployed to shoot down incoming Russian Shaheds.
Asked about the directive, a senior U.S. official said the president “never made such a request.” The White House did not respond to questions about whether other members of the administration were involved. SpaceX, the Department of Defense and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington also did not respond to requests for comment.