White House ordered Starshield slowdown that disrupted Ukraine's drones, Reuters says
After SpaceX quietly throttled Starlink speeds for Ukraine's military, Reuters reports the order came from inside the Trump White House, not Musk.
Part of a larger narrative
Russia's Escalating Strikes on Ukraine
- Ukraine exhausts Patriot interceptor stockpile, source tells CNN
- Ukraine says Neptune missile strike destroyed six Russian Su-34M bombers
- Ukraine accuses SpaceX of limiting Starlink for military drones
- Russia suspected after drones sink second ship off Bulgaria in a week
- White House ordered Starshield slowdown that disrupted Ukraine's drones, Reuters saysyou are here
What to know
- SpaceX capped Starshield terminal speeds at 100 mph without warning on Oct. 14, disrupting Ukrainian mid-range strike and interceptor drone missions.
- Reuters reports the restriction order originated inside the White House, not from Musk acting alone, amid US pressure on Kyiv over strikes on Russian refineries.
- Service was partially restored the same day but the speed cap remained; Zelensky calls the episode 'a very serious mistake' and wants it fully lifted for strikes on Russian territory.
- The incident has intensified European calls to build independent satellite communications rather than depend on a US-controlled system.
The dispute Whether the fault lies primarily with Musk personally exploiting his control of Starlink, or with the Trump White House using Starshield as a geopolitical lever against Ukraine. · positions read across 703 posts and comments
Trump is effectively acting as a Russian asset and is responsible for Ukrainian deaths by cutting Starlink.
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“Hillary was absolutely right. Trump is Putin's puppet. It's going to get Ukrainians killed while aiding and abetting Putin's criminal war effort.”
joel.klebanoff.com · Bluesky ↗
Musk personally is an untrustworthy, unaccountable actor who should not control critical infrastructure.
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“Unelected Musk interfering in foreign affairs. Again. Tax this fucker into oblivion.”
michele67.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Europe must build independent satellite communications rather than depend on a US-controlled network.
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“Europe needs to be building their own capabilities yesterday”
bdplayer81.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Elon Musk SpaceX/Starlink CEO
Donald Trump US PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky Ukrainian President
Mykhailo Fedorov Former Ukrainian Defense MinisterSerhii "Flash" Beskrestnov Presidential adviser on drone warfare
How it unfolded 9 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Musk says US government may be behind continuing slowdown
Musk suggested the US government, not SpaceX, may be responsible for ongoing speed limits, as Ukraine says access has improved but remains restricted enough to disrupt battlefield missions.
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first by Breitbart, 1d ago · also RTÉ, Forbes
2 more headlines
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first by UPI, 1d ago · also The Guardian
2 more headlines
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Het bevel om Starshield (Starlink) te beperken voor het Oekraïense leger, kwam vanuit het Witte Huis, meldt @reuters.com op basis bronnen. Als dit bericht klopt, dan is dit de bevestiging dat de Amerikaanse regering bewust Oekraïense levens in gevaar brengt.
2 more of the top 3 · 116 posts in this stretch
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Elon says it wasn't him. White House staff says it wasn't the orange guy. No one owns up to shutting Starlink for Ukraine. We all have our guesses who it was, I'm sure. Traitors, the lot of them. https:// kyivindependent.com/no-ones-ow ning-up-to-crippling-ukraines-military-starlink/
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Exclusive: The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House
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ReutersOrder to limit Starshield came from inside White House
Citing two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter, Reuters reported the restriction order originated inside the White House, not from Musk or SpaceX independently, amid US pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian refineries.
“The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter.”
— Reuters -
5 outlets first by Straits Times, 12h ago · also Globe and Mail, Japan Times, CNBC, Reuters · read ↗
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first by Mastodon, 8h ago · also Kyiv Independent, Meduza EN, Forbes
3 more headlines
- Order limiting Starlink access for Ukraine's military came from within White House, Reuters reports Mastodon · 8h ago
- Order to restrict Starlink’s operations in Ukraine came from White House, Reuters reports Mastodon · 4h ago
- Order To Limit Ukraine’s Starshield Use Reportedly Came From White House—As Trump Blasts Zelenskyy Forbes Business · 4h ago
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(Reuters) - The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. @reuters.com 🇺🇦
2 more of the top 3 · 133 posts in this stretch
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BREAKING: The order to limit a satellite system (Starshield) used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter / Reuters
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RE: https:// mas.to/@fsinn/1174480180825575 83 “As confusion erupted, the SpaceX CEO said Wednesday that the decisions to restrict the speed or usage of Starlink’s Starshield are made by the U.S. military and, ultimately, the president. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by…
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7
Zelensky calls the shutdown 'a very serious mistake'
Zelensky said Ukraine needed Starlink able to operate over Russian territory to destroy ballistic missile launchers, and characterized the earlier shutdown as a major error.
“Give us Starlink with the ability to operate on Russian territory, and we will destroy their ballistic missile launchers.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky -
first by France 24 EN, 1d ago · also Guardian, Straits Times, Channel News Asia, Bangkok Post, France 24
2 more headlines
- Elon Musk suggests US government was behind Starlink restrictions in Ukraine – Europe live Mastodon · 1d ago
- Starlink in Ukraine: Musk suggests US govt behind any slowdown France 24 EN · 1d ago
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Zelensky: “Give us Starlink with the ability to operate on Russian territory, and we will destroy their ballistic missile launchers” Other statements by the Ukrainian president: — The Starlink shutdown was a very serious mistake. — The causes of the oil crisis lie in the
2 more of the top 3 · 50 posts in this stretch
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On the anti Ukraine high tech sabotage: Trump blames Musk. Musk blames Trump. Mark me down as #TeamNeither.
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News: Starlink Including The High Speed Starshield Service Completely Restored For Ukraine Starshield — the military version of Starlink — is fully operational again for Ukrainian forces, a source at Ukraine’s Defense Ministry told Ukrinform. “As of today, Starshield has resumed working on the move, and it continues to operate, we’re seeing…
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6
Defense Ministry says Starlink service restored, limit remains
A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source confirmed service had stabilized, though the 160 kph speed restriction on Starshield stayed in place.
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first by Moscow Times EN, 1d ago · also Jerusalem Post
1 more headline
- Ukraine's Starshield functionality in motion has been restored, source says Jerusalem Post · 23h ago
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2 outlets first by Mastodon, 1d ago · also Kyiv Independent · read ↗
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Oekraïne heeft weer volledige toegang tot Starshield - na de onderbrekingen van 14 oktober
2 more of the top 3 · 35 posts in this stretch
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KYIV POST: Zelensky Says Starlink Was Switched Off During Russian Attacks – ‘That’s Their Decision’ https://www. kyivpost.com/post/87091 Zelensky said Starlink restrictions during Russian attacks were deliberate, warning that disrupted communications weakened Ukraine’s air defenses and cost civilian lives. US lawmakers from both parties condemned…
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I suspect the Trump administration. Elon isn't really a loyal person and he sees how unpopular Trump is. I don't expect him to refuse anything from Trump as he doesn't want to be on his bad side again but I doubt he's actively doing things for him. I suspect that if ordered to do something he'll do it but avoid making much noise as he wants…
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Musk says Trump and the US military control Starshield limits
Musk denied personally cutting off Ukraine, saying Starshield is government-owned and that speed and usage limits are set by the US military and ultimately the president.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
— Elon Musk -
first by The Washington Post, 1d ago · also BBC Science, BBC, WSJ, PBS NewsHour, Washington Post
4 more headlines
- Musk says any limits on Ukraine's Starlink access down to US, not his firm BBC Science · 1d ago
- What’s Going on With Starlink in Ukraine? WSJ Opinion · 1d ago
- Opinion | What’s Going on With Starlink in Ukraine? WSJ · 1d ago
- How Starlink disruptions affected Ukraine's battlefield operations PBS NewsHour · 1d ago
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first by Via Satellite, 2d ago · also The Asia Business Daily, WSJ, The Times
3 more headlines
- Ukraine: “Starlink Speed Limits Disrupt Operations”... Musk: “It's Up to U.S. Government” The Asia Business Daily · 2d ago
- Ukraine Says New Starlink Speed Limit Is Disrupting Its Attacks WSJ · 2d ago
- How Elon Musk’s surprise Starlink limits could spell disaster for Ukraine The Times · 2d ago
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⚡️ Musk says he wasn’t the one who restricted Starlink — and hints that Trump is behind it “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Elon Musk wrote on X. Now, pay
2 more of the top 3 · 82 posts in this stretch
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Ukraine’s Starlink access has been restricted without warning, adding to growing confusion about whether the United States has begun limiting intelligence and military aid to Ukraine.
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A bipartisan Ukraine Caucus in the US Congress raised concerns over Starlink restrictions and a possible halt to intelligence sharing with Ukraine, warning this could leave civilians, including US citizens in Ukraine, more vulnerable to Russian attacks. # Ukraine
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Fedorov announces partial restoration at capped speed
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Starlink connectivity up to 160 km/h was being restored, allowing attack and interceptor drones to resume flights, while pressing for the limit's full removal.
“Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield's speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine's defense. Thank you, @elonmusk.”
— Mykhailo Fedorov -
first by Anadolu Agency, 1d ago
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Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.
2 more of the top 3 · 20 posts in this stretch
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Leaving X has, I'm pretty sure, hit my bookings and career. But it comes at the massive bonus of a) my own mental wellbeing and b) not providing free content for the owner of Starlink:
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US Senator Richard Blumenthal said Trump and Musk “must be held accountable” for Starlink failures in Ukraine. SpaceX reportedly throttled the military Starlink for Ukraine’s drones, and on the same night, a Russian ballistic strike killed three in Kyiv without warning from allies https:// euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/14…
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Zelensky tells Piers Morgan Trump and Musk cut off Starlink
In an interview, Zelensky said the US deliberately restricted Starlink, that people were being killed as a result, and that Ukraine had been betrayed by its partner.
“This is not the right side of history. It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky -
first by NewsMax.com, 1d ago · also The Record, Axios, New York Post, NY Post, Hindustan Times, Washington Examiner
7 more headlines
- Ukraine says Elon Musk's Starshield service partially restored after restrictions disrupted drone missions The Record · 1d ago
- Ukraine's Starlink restrictions raise suspicions of Musk, Trump retaliation Axios · 1d ago
- Musk: US Military, Trump Control Ukraine's Starshield Limits NewsMax.com · 1d ago
- Elon Musk blames Trump admin for Starshield throttling in Ukraine that Zelenksy warns will cost lives New York Post · 1d ago
- Musk says Trump in charge after Ukraine blames SpaceX's Starshield for drone mission disruptions Hindustan Times · 1d ago
- Musk blames Trump and US military for Ukraine’s Starshield restrictions Washington Examiner · 1d ago
- Ukraine says Elon Musk's Starshield service restored after restrictions disrupted drone missions The Record · 1d ago
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first by The Verge, 1d ago · also Tom's Hardware, Wall Street Journal, France 24, France 24 EN, Reuters
5 more headlines
- SpaceX limits Starlink service for Ukraine's high-speed military drones without prior warning Tom's Hardware · 1d ago
- Ukraine Says New Limits on Starlink Are Disrupting Its Military Operations Wall Street Journal · 1d ago
- SpaceX Caps Military Starlink Speed in Ukraine, Disrupting Drone Missions, Presidential Adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov Says Political.org · 1d ago
- Ukraine says Starlink restricted operations overnight, disrupting military missions France 24 · 1d ago
- SpaceX limits Starlink operations in Ukraine, disrupting military missions, presidential aide says Reuters · 1d ago
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BREAKING: Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells @piersmorgan he has been betrayed by Trump, that Elon Musk and the US deliberately cut off Starlink and people are being killed as a result “This is not the right side of history,” he says. “It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner”
2 more of the top 3 · 35 posts in this stretch
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Musk once again demonstrating why having one person effectively in control of Low Earth Orbit is a really bad idea. https://www. independent.co.uk/news/world/e urope/poland-elon-musk-starlink-putin-russia-war-b3066514.html
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Starlink needs to be nationalized. No private company anywhere in the world should be able to have 11,000+ satellites up in the sky and no one human should have the resulting power.
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2
SpaceX throttles Starshield speeds for Ukraine without warning
Overnight, SpaceX capped Starshield terminal speeds at 100 mph (160 kph) while in motion, disrupting Ukrainian mid-range strike and interceptor drone missions across multiple units.
“I confirm that (Starlink owner) SpaceX implemented speed restrictions on Starlink terminals while in motion last night.”
— Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov -
first by Globe and Mail, 2d ago · also Deutsche Welle EN, EUobserver, Telegraph India, The Times of India, Gizmodo
5 more headlines
- Ukraine says Musk's SpaceX limits Kyiv's Starlink access Deutsche Welle EN · 2d ago
- Musk joins Trump and Putin’s new axis of evil, as Starlink grounds Ukraine’s medium-range drones (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,693) Mastodon · 1d ago
- Ukraine says Elon Musk's SpaceX restricts Starlink, hampers drone missions as Russian strikes hit power grid Telegraph India · 1d ago
- Ukraine's Starlink scare The Times of India · 1d ago
- Ukraine Says SpaceX’s New Starlink Restrictions Are Disrupting Drone Missions Gizmodo · 1d ago
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first by Al Jazeera, 22h ago · also CBS News
1 more headline
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"Ukrainian troops have been caught off guard by restrictions on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet systems that disrupted frontline operations, while Kyiv received no warning from its partners of a Russian missile attack on its energy facilities for the second day running."
2 more of the top 3 · 129 posts in this stretch
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BREAKING: SpaceX has now imposed a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion in Ukraine, disrupting combat drone missions, with the restriction applying to the StarShield military package and set at 100 miles per hour, per Ukrainian officials. "Our defence forces did not
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Ukraine's access to Elon Musk’s Starlink has been restricted without warning, according to the presidential office, severely disrupting several military missions. https:// kyivindependent.com/this-canno t-be-a-coincidence-ukraines-starlink-access-restricted-without-warning-zelensky-adviser-says/
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Ukrainian units and officials report disrupted combat missions
Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the 7th Air Assault Corps and frontline drone commanders reported connectivity problems that forced cancellation of missions, while Zelensky adviser Beskrestnov called it no coincidence.
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first by Investing.com News, 2d ago · also Meduza EN
1 more headline
- Ukrainian military says SpaceX restricted Starlink terminals without warning Meduza EN · 2d ago
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All coming into focus now as Musk cuts off Ukraine's Starlink amid drone operations to help Putin, his current attacks on the Indian government aimed at forcing them to adopt Starlink. Nations that become reliant on Starlink can be rendered defenseless once Musk decides to sell
2 more of the top 3 · 103 posts in this stretch
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NEW: Ukrainian troops were caught off guard by restrictions on Starlink satellite internet systems that disrupted frontline operations, as Kyiv received no advance warning from its partners of a Russian missile attack on its energy facilities for the second day running, Ukrainian officials tell me.
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SpaceX has implemented a 100 mph speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion, affecting the StarShield military package in Ukraine. Advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov states this unannounced change has disrupted several military missions. https:// t.me/serhii_flash/7807 # Ukraine # Russia # US # Musk # Starlink
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Meduza EN, 1d ago · also Euronews, @elonmusk, SCMP, South China Morning Post
3 more headlines
- Musk suggests US government behind slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield system Euronews · 1d ago
- Elon Musk says the US government owns and controls Starshield systems and “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS” @elonmusk · 1d ago
- Musk suggests US government behind any slowdown in Ukraine’s Starshield SCMP · 1d ago
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5 outlets Ukrainian drones lose some speed after SpaceX imposes sudden restrictions on use of Starlink
first by WPLG Local 10, 1d ago · also Philadelphia Inquirer, Austin American-Statesman, Yahoo! Finance Canada, BNN Bloomberg
1 more headline
- Ukrainian drones are forced to slow down by sudden restrictions on use of Starlink Philadelphia Inquirer · 1d ago
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5 outlets Elon Musk Accused of Sabotaging Ukraine
first by The Bulwark, 1d ago · also AFR, Australian Financial Review, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald
3 more headlines
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first by Investing.com News, 2d ago · also Business Today, Reuters, HN Frontpage, Straits Times
3 more headlines
- SpaceX restricts Starlink services in Ukraine, disrupting military drone missions: Report Business Today · 2d ago
- Ukraine says SpaceX has restricted Starlink by cutting military-grade service at speeds exceeding 100mph, disrupting drone missions, and it received no warning Reuters · 2d ago
- Starlink limit hits Ukraine's drones. The battlefield depends on SpaceX HN Frontpage · 2d ago
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first by Investing.com News, 1d ago · also France 24 EN, France 24, Channel News Asia
1 more headline
- What is Starshield, SpaceX's military version of Starlink? France 24 EN · 1d ago
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first by Mastodon, 1d ago · also PBS, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
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first by Mastodon, 6h ago · also Euronews, Yahoo News Singapore
1 more headline
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first by Mastodon, 23h ago · also Business Insider, Meduza EN
1 more headline
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first by Courthouse News, 1d ago · also Courthouse News Service, Philadelphia Inquirer
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first by Mastodon, 1d ago · also Bloomberg, Independent UK
1 more headline
- Poland Grills Musk About New Starlink Restrictions in Ukraine Bloomberg · 1d ago
and 75 smaller pieces
What people are saying 14 voices from 5 sites · best of 703 · verbatim
- Who specifically within the White House ordered the restriction, and why was it imposed without warning?
- Will the speed limit on Starshield be fully removed, as Zelensky and Fedorov are demanding?
- Yesterday
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Because noone has said it in a comment I am gonna say it here, any issue you have with Musk in this situation is due to a confusion between STARSHIELD and STARLINK. Starshield is the part owned by the military, and that part has been restricted for Ukraine due to, quite frankly, bullshit reasons that you are allowed to be mad at. However, again…
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It’s time for the UK and Europe to wake up to on the fact that the USA is no longer an ally of the West or democracy. Trump is clearly working to help Russia in any way he can whilst personally enriching himself and his friends in return. The last few months has shown that we are horribly reliant on USA technology and services and that the US…
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So Trump is gonna get impeached over Ukraine for the second time in as many Presidential terms. It'd be funny if it wasn't so serious. Actually in fact to be serious, if it turns out Hegseth was the one who gave the "code red" to inhibit Starshield for Ukraine that could be the thing that gets him convicted by the Senate after the House impeaches…
- Oct 14
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It breaks my heart to say that, and it is a serious question but... Is this the beginning of the end of this war? I hope someone will pull a trick to help Ukraine but since the end of the summer it seems like most political decisions are going in the favor of Russia ( Trump buying Russian oil, USA stoping to sell air defence to Ukraine, Starlink…
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Ukraine says Starlink shut down interfering with drone operation as White House accuses Ukraine of election interference for blowing up Russian data centers.
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But you see it’s fine to use his service because he’s changed. https://www. nytimes.com/2026/10/14/world/e urope/ukraine-starlink-energy.html
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Ok, so lets discuss this. How do you believe the export armd control act was violated? Congressional oversight wasn't needed, since there was no change in official US Ukraine starlink policy. As well, since all that happened was a temporary reduction in service, im not sure how you think that the export arms control act comes into play. There was…
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Reports are increasingly appearing from Ukrainian military and experts that Starlink has been turned off/limited for Ukrainian Defenders. Starlink is used in the most effective Ukrainian interceptor against Russia's jet-powered drones. So if it's not functioning properly, it's about making Ukrainians and Ukrainian infrastructure defenseless…
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Give France $30 billion and launch a few orbits full of LEO.We don't need to cover the globe like SpaceX, just Ukraine and from there North-Westward into Russia.Imagine Britain in the fucking Blitz where Roosevelt starts to buy oil from Nazi Germany and JP Morgan cuts off the Telegraph somehow.Crazy times.
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I don't understand how it's "too far" in any way, provided that Russia has since the start of the war struck against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including datacenters. The only way I can read this is as an example of heavily pro-Russian bias.
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It’s so obvious that Putin has something on Trump. It’s either the unsubstantiated pee tape, or they have the video tapes Epstein said he had. And since Musk also (at least) wanted to party on one of the islands wildest nights, there might be even more leverage Putin is using strategically.
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The timing is interesting, given that it comes days after Musk said Ukraine had gone "too far" striking Yandex data centers. Putting other considerations aside, these strikes could be interpreted as direct retaliation against strikes on Ukrainian data centers days before.That said, depending on a single piece of tech is not a good idea (as…
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Major new development with Trump/Musk apparently restricting use of Starlink above Ukraine.
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❗️Last night, the operation of Starlink terminals in Ukraine was restricted. Connectivity began to drop when moving at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. As a result, a number of critical missions were disrupted. SpaceX likely took these measures at the request of the Trump