Musk ordered Ukraine’s Starlink slowdown, Trump administration denies prior knowledge

New reporting points to Elon Musk as the person who ordered a slowdown of Ukraine's military satellite internet service, disrupting its ability to defend against Russian attacks. The Wall Street Journal and CBS News report Musk ordered the restrictions on StarShield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink network. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the slower service was preventing his forces from using interceptor drones to shoot down Russian attack drones. And for days, there was confusion over who was responsible. Musk posted that the U.S. government, not SpaceX, controls access to Starshield and decides on any speed restrictions. President Trump said Monday he didn't know who ordered the slowdown but wanted to find out. Now, sources tell the Journal that Musk spoke with senior administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the speed limits. But other officials say the decision caught them by surprise, and that neither Trump nor the Pentagon specifically ordered the restrictions. Both Trump and Musk have criticized Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries, which Trump blames for higher energy prices. The dispute adds to growing tensions between Trump and Zelensky, even as the U.S. tries to negotiate an end to the war. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is now in Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin following yesterday's meeting with Zelensky.