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US President Donald Trump has denied ordering restrictions on Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starshield satellite network after military officials reported disruptions to drone operations.
On October 16, Trump rejected any involvement in the restrictions, as questions grew over who authorized the changes. The dispute follows reports that a speed limit disrupted connections to drones used in Ukraine's war against Russia.
“It wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon,” Trump told reporters before leaving the White House for Georgia on Friday. He said he had checked the situation that morning and understood service to be operating as before. He questioned whether the network had gone down at all.
His comments contradicted accounts from officials cited in an October 15 Reuters investigation. Two US officials and a Western official said the instruction to slow Starshield had come from inside the White House and reached Pentagon leaders. They did not identify who authorized it. A senior US official separately denied that Trump issued the order.
Elon Musk pointed to the government's control of Starshield. The SpaceX chief executive wrote on X that the system is owned and controlled by the US government. He maintained that the military and president determine limits on its use. Starshield serves national security customers, while Starlink provides broader satellite internet services.
Ukrainian military personnel reported that some satellite terminals lost connectivity when attached to drones or vehicles moving above 100 mph (160 km/h). The cap affected drone guidance and surveillance missions, including efforts to intercept Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials said forces received no warning before the changes.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, reported that multiple missions failed. Service on some terminals later returned, but the speed restriction remained unresolved as of Friday. Ukraine was discussing the cap with the US government and SpaceX, according to Beskrestnov.
Zelensky said normal service had not fully returned. Russian strikes during the week killed civilians and damaged energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. Ukrainian officials warned that the restrictions weakened their ability to defend against incoming attacks.
Nine US senators from both parties requested a Pentagon inspector general investigation into the communications disruption. Their letter raised concerns about Ukraine's ability to defend against missiles and drones and reported difficulties faced by US personnel during air raids.
The senators asked investigators to determine whether US officials or contractors ordered, approved or knew about the restrictions. They requested a status update and an initial briefing by November 1. The letter did not assign responsibility for the slowdown.
The dispute comes amid tension over Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries and a US deal involving Russian diesel. Trump has urged Kyiv to halt the refinery strikes, while Zelensky has rejected calls to stop unless Moscow ends its attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
At a Brussels summit on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged continued European support for Ukraine. Zelensky told EU leaders that Ukraine would need at least EUR 70 billion from the bloc for defense and weapons next year as the war enters another winter.
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