Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say
SPCX•The order to limit SpaceX’s Starshield service for Ukraine came from inside the White House, according to two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. Ukrainian officials said restrictions hindered strike missions and interceptor drones; the service was working in motion only up to 100 miles per hour.
1. White House order reported
U.S. and Western officials said leaders at the Defense Department received a message that Starshield service for Ukraine needed to be slowed. They did not identify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing it. A senior U.S. official said no request to limit the service came from President Donald Trump.
2. Restrictions affected drones
Ukrainian officials said military-grade Starlink receivers stopped working when mounted on fast-moving objects, affecting drones that use them for onboard guidance. A Ukrainian Defence Ministry source said the receivers were working in motion again, but only at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160 kph). The restrictions complicated strike missions and slowed interceptor drones used against incoming Russian Shahed drones.
3. Tensions with Kyiv
The restriction came as Trump pressed Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries. After the move, Ukrainian officials sought answers from the White House, State Department and Pentagon and were told it was a White House decision, a senior Ukrainian official said. Starshield is SpaceX’s military-grade service for government and national-security customers, built on the Starlink constellation.
