Reuters: White House ordered the Starlink/Starshield slowdown that hit Ukraine's drones
Zelenskyy says access is still not fully restored after an unannounced speed cut to Ukraine's military Starlink terminals disrupted battlefield missions.
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
- Reuters: White House ordered the Starlink/Starshield slowdown that hit Ukraine's dronesyou are here
What to know
- Ukraine's military-grade Starshield terminals were throttled overnight without warning, disrupting drone strike, interceptor and reconnaissance missions.
- Elon Musk says only the US military and president set Starshield's limits; Reuters sourcing points to an order originating inside the White House.
- Despite a partial restoration announced Oct. 14-15, Zelenskyy says as of Oct. 16 access is still not fully restored.
- The episode has triggered EU efforts to build independent satellite capacity and US senators are calling for an investigation.
The dispute Some commenters blame Musk personally as an unaccountable actor, while others treat Musk as merely executing an order that originated with Trump and the White House. · positions read across 727 posts and comments
Trump and Musk are acting on Putin's behalf and betraying Ukraine, and Trump should face consequences.
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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 ↗
Europe and other countries must build their own satellite/communications capacity instead of depending on Starlink.
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“The White House's decision to limit Starlink is what should worry Europe most... Brussels should be funding a satcom backup now, not after the next cutoff.”
rusni-pizda.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
This exposes Starlink itself as a structural security liability, regardless of who ordered the cutoff.
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“So, Elon's network is now a security liability for every country on Earth, because at any time the United States can just switch it off.”
jovial-jovian.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Elon Musk SpaceX/Starlink CEO
Donald Trump US President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine
Mykhailo Fedorov Former Ukrainian Defense MinisterSerhii "Flash" Beskrestnov Presidential adviser, Starlink monitor
How it unfolded 8 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Zelenskyy: access still not fully restored; senators demand probe
Meeting European leaders in Brussels and asking the EU for another €70bn, Zelenskyy said Starlink access for Ukraine's military had still not been fully restored and called the US restriction a dangerous surprise; separately, US senators called for an investigation into the restrictions.
“dangerous and unpleasant surprise…”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy -
first by Mastodon, 23h ago · also Time, Kyiv Independent
1 more headline
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first by BBC Science, 5h ago · also BBC
1 more headline
- US senators call for investigation into Ukraine Starlink restrictions Mastodon · 15m ago
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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 · 48 posts in this stretch
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“The order to restrict Ukraine’s military-grade Starshield satellite communications system came directly from inside the White House, according to a Reuters investigation published Thursday, Oct. 15, revealing that Washington moved to limit technology essential to Ukraine’s battlefield operations and defense against Russian drones.”
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He's definitely going to find a way to weasel out of the partnership if Dems take the white house in 2028. Democrats are the ones who pretended Tesla didn't exist and claim Ford was leading the EV revolution. That was back when they were in charge. Don't you dare claiming Democrats were not deliberately stonewalling Elon.
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ReutersOrder to limit Starshield came from inside White House
Two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter told Reuters the order to limit the Starshield system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations originated inside the White House, not from Musk or SpaceX independently.
“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 -
6 outlets first by Mastodon, 17h ago · also Japan Times, CNBC, Kyiv Independent, Meduza EN, Globe and Mail · read ↗
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5 outlets first by Forbes Business, 9h ago · also Defense News, Straits Times, Reuters, Forbes · read ↗
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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 · 237 posts in this stretch
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Reuters: The order to throttle Starshield/Starlink for Ukraine came from the White House.
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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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Starlink service in Ukraine reported 'restored'
A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source told the Kyiv Independent that Starlink service had been restored after SpaceX's unannounced Oct. 14 speed restrictions, though the underlying limit remained in place.
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first by Euronews, 1d ago · also France 24 EN, Straits Times, Channel News Asia, Bangkok Post, France 24, Guardian
3 more headlines
- Musk suggests US govt behind any slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield system France 24 EN · 1d ago
- 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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6 outlets Ukraine's Starlink scare
first by The Times of India, 2d ago · also Ars Technica, Ars OpenForum, NBC News, FT, The Hill
5 more headlines
- Starlink Restrictions Disrupt Ukraine Drones, Adding to US Tensions NewsMax.com · 2d ago
- Ukraine blindsided by Starlink throttling restrictions and intelligence gaps Ars Technica · 2d ago
- Ukraine says new Starlink restrictions disrupt military as it reels from intel gaps and Trump clash NBC News · 2d ago
- Ukraine blindsided by Starlink restrictions and intelligence gaps during Russian attack Financial Times · 2d ago
- Confusion swirls around Starlink restrictions in Ukraine The Hill · 2d 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 · 67 posts in this stretch
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Oekraïne heeft weer volledige toegang tot Starshield - na de onderbrekingen van 14 oktober
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Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands. Yesterday, # Ukrainian troops failed missions due to # Starlink block. This is simply an evil move that will cost lives. Air defense and mid-range strike units tell us how they feel betrayed amid relentless # Russian attacks. https://www. counteroffensive.news/p/trumps…
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EU moves to let telecom firms compete with Starlink
Following the disruption, EU officials moved to allow European telecom companies to combine forces to build a rival satellite internet capability, described as the first major European fallout from the episode.
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Europe is on the move. The first major fallout from Musk's ill-advised decision to cut off Starlink access for the Ukrainians—a service contracted and paid for by Europeans... 👉 EU 🇪🇺 telecom companies to be allowed to join forces to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink EU
2 more of the top 3 · 63 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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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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Musk says only Trump and US military set Starshield limits
Responding to criticism, Musk said Starshield is government-owned and controlled, and that any speed or usage limits are decided by the US military and ultimately the president, denying he personally restricted the service.
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately (the president). Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action…”
— Elon Musk -
3 outlets first by Seeking Alpha, 1d ago · also Forbes, Quartz · read ↗
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2 outlets Elon Musk says Trump is 'ultimately' responsible for any curbs on Ukraine's Starshield systems
first by CNBC, 1d ago · also France 24 EN
1 more headline
- Elon Musk and Donald Trump: What their growing ties mean for Ukraine France 24 EN · 1d 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 · 25 posts in this stretch
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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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Isn't there a European system that could replace Starlink, and isn't there intelligence available from sources other than Trump's camp? It is time to take a hard line with the US regarding these demands. Let's defend Ukraine.
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Fedorov announces partial restoration to 160 km/h
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Starlink connectivity up to 160 km/h was being restored for attack and interceptor drones, while urging full removal of the speed limit.
“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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Zelenskyy says Trump and Musk deliberately cut Starlink
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy said he had been betrayed by Trump and that the US and Musk deliberately cut off Starlink, resulting in deaths.
“This is not the right side of history. It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner…”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy -
5 outlets first by NewsMax.com, 1d ago · also Axios, New York Post, NY Post, Hindustan Times · read ↗
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2 outlets first by Mastodon, 1d ago · also Guardian · read ↗
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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 · 54 posts in this stretch
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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."
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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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SpaceX throttles Starshield terminals in Ukraine without warning
Overnight, SpaceX capped Starshield terminal speeds at 160 km/h (100 mph) while in motion, with signal instability even below that limit, disrupting multiple drone strike, interceptor and reconnaissance missions.
“I confirm that (Starlink owner) SpaceX implemented speed restrictions on Starlink terminals while in motion last night.”
— Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov -
first by CNBC, 3d ago · also Investing.com News, Straits Times, Reuters, WSJ, HN Frontpage, The Times +2
6 more headlines
- Ukraine says SpaceX limits Starlink operations, disrupting military Investing.com News · 2d ago
- Ukraine Says New Starlink Speed Limit Is Disrupting Its Attacks WSJ · 2d ago
- Starlink limit hits Ukraine's drones. The battlefield depends on SpaceX HN Frontpage · 2d ago
- How Elon Musk’s surprise Starlink limits could spell disaster for Ukraine The Times · 2d ago
- SpaceX limits Starlink operations in Ukraine, disrupting drone missions Globe and Mail · 2d ago
- Ukraine says Musk's SpaceX limits Kyiv's Starlink access Deutsche Welle EN · 2d ago
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first by Indian Express, 1d ago · also Japan Times, Straits Times, France 24 EN, France 24
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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 · 213 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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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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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by NPR, 1d ago · also Yahoo News Singapore, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Mediaite
5 more headlines
- Ukraine says its Starshield access is back NPR · 1d ago
- Ukraine says its Starshield access has been greatly restricted NPR · 1d ago
- Exclusive-Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say Yahoo News Singapore · 1d ago
- What is Starshield, and who limited Ukraine’s access to it? Al Jazeera · 1d ago
- Order to Restrict Ukraine's Starshield Satellite System Came From Inside White House: Report Mediaite · 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 Telegraph, 2d ago · also Crooks and Liars, Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Hill
4 more headlines
- ‘Playing Politics’: Elon Musk's Starlink Games Disrupted Ukraine's Military Operations Crooks and Liars · 2d ago
- Musk turns on Ukraine by limiting Starlink Telegraph · 2d ago
- Ukraine accuses Elon Musk’s SpaceX of throttling Starlink terminals Al Jazeera · 2d ago
- Trump right to share intel with Ukraine; don’t turn off Starlink, Elon Musk! The Hill · 2d ago
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first by Telegraph India, 2d ago · also Gizmodo, Breitbart, RTÉ, Forbes
4 more headlines
- Ukraine Says SpaceX’s New Starlink Restrictions Are Disrupting Drone Missions Gizmodo · 2d ago
- Musk denies SpaceX restricted Starlink in Ukraine, blames U.S. government Breitbart · 2d ago
- Ukraine says SpaceX restricted Starlink services for drone missions RTÉ · 2d ago
- Ukraine Says Musk's SpaceX Is Restricting Its Starlink Military Use—Drone Missions Affected Forbes · 2d ago
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4 outlets Ukrainian drones lose some speed after SpaceX imposes sudden restrictions on use of Starlink
first by WPLG Local 10, 1d ago · also Yahoo! Finance Canada, Philadelphia Inquirer, BNN Bloomberg
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first by Investing.com News, 1d ago · also Channel News Asia, Yahoo! Finance Canada, Reuters
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first by Mastodon, 2d ago · also PBS, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
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first by Mastodon, 11h ago · also Euronews, Yahoo News Singapore
1 more headline
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first by Meduza EN, 1d ago · also Euronews, @elonmusk
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first by Courthouse News, 2d ago · also Courthouse News Service, Philadelphia Inquirer
and 86 smaller pieces
What people are saying 13 voices from 5 sites · best of 727 · verbatim
- Who exactly ordered the restriction — Trump personally, the Pentagon, or Musk — and why was there no advance warning?
- Will the Starshield speed limit be removed entirely, and when will Ukraine's access be 'fully restored'?
- 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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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