WSJ: Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown for Ukraine's Military, as Accounts Conflict

The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 20, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, that Elon Musk ordered a slowdown last week of Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine's military relies on. The report does not rest on a single account. Some U.S. officials told the WSJ that Musk acted unilaterally, while another source said he spoke with multiple senior administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the new speed cap.

Reuters did not confirm the WSJ report. It said it could not immediately verify it, and noted that its own earlier reporting had said the order came from inside the White House. Musk wrote in an Oct. 14 post that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that any limits on speed or usage "are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS". The WSJ account contradicts that framing. Trump said "it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," according to Gizmodo, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet. Rubio also said Ukraine does not currently have access to Starshield.

Reports differ on the details. The restrictions reportedly took effect Oct. 14. Ukrainian officials have cited a cap of up to 160 km/h on some drones, while Zelensky, as relayed by the Telegraph, said some systems were cut to around 70 km/h. Zelensky has also said Starlink was not turned off, but its speed was reduced. SpaceX (SPCX) did not respond to emailed questions from Gizmodo, and Reuters said Musk, SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond.

For SpaceX, the open question is who made the decision and under what authority. Investors may watch for a company statement, any government inquiry, and whether customers change how they view the service's reliability. The reporting does not yet establish who issued the cap or the exact speed limit.