Starshield restrictions for Ukrainian Armed Forces could have been imposed by order of the White House — Reuters

The order to restrict the operation of the Starshield military satellite system used by the Ukrainian Defense Forces could have come directly from the White House. At the same time, the administration of US President Donald Trump has previously denied involvement in the communication problems, and the American leader himself, according to the official, did not give such an order.

This was reported by Reuters with reference to two American officials and a representative of one of the Western countries familiar with the situation.

According to the agency’s interlocutors, the leadership of the US Department of Defense received an instruction to limit the speed of Starshield for Ukrainian servicemen.

At the same time, the sources did not specify who exactly in the US administration made the relevant decision and who was responsible for its implementation.

The White House denies Trump’s involvement in the restrictions

In response to a question from journalists, a senior American official said that President Donald Trump personally did not give an order to restrict the operation of the satellite system.

At the same time, the White House did not specify whether other representatives of the presidential administration could have made such a decision.

Earlier, the Axios publication reported that Washington explained the interruptions in the work of Starshield by technical malfunctions and denied political interference.

According to journalists, Ukrainian officials contacted the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon, trying to find out the reasons for the communication problems.

At the same time, representatives of the American administration allegedly stated that they did not control the activities of SpaceX.

Elon Musk explained who controls Starshield

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on October 14 that the military Starshield system is different from the commercial Starlink network.

According to him, Starshield is under the control of the US government, and decisions on limiting the speed of operation and the use of relevant terminals are made by the US military.

Musk also noted that the final decision in such matters remains with the President of the United States.

Thus, the claims about the lack of control of the American authorities over Starshield contradict the explanations of the founder of SpaceX.

How did the Starshield restrictions affect the Ukrainian army

Problems with satellite communication arose without prior notification to the Ukrainian side.

According to media reports, the restrictions made it difficult to carry out certain combat missions, in particular the use of drones and interceptor drones.

In addition, the disruptions could affect logistical operations and coordination of military units.

At the same time, on October 15, Ukrainian military personnel reported the restoration of Starshield operation during movement.

According to Ukrainian media, the operability of the terminals was confirmed directly by military units.

However, it remained unclear whether all previously introduced restrictions had been finally lifted.

Are the problems related to the connection with Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries

The situation around Starshield arose against the backdrop of disagreements between Kyiv and Washington regarding Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump previously expressed dissatisfaction with the attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing his position by the possible impact of such strikes on world prices for oil and diesel fuel.

According to Reuters, during negotiations between American and Ukrainian representatives in Miami on October 9, Washington also raised the issue of continuing attacks on Russian refineries.

The American side, according to the agency, expressed dissatisfaction with Ukraine’s actions.

At the same time, there is currently no official evidence that the Starshield restrictions have become an instrument of pressure on Kyiv due to strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Thus, despite Reuters sources reporting a possible order from the White House, the circumstances of the decision on Starshield remain completely unclear.