Order to restrict Ukraine's Starshield service came from White House, Reuters reports
An order to restrict Ukraine's access to the U.S.-controlled Starshield satellite communications service originated inside the White House, Reuters reported on October 15, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter.
According to the sources, senior Pentagon officials received instructions to slow the SpaceX-operated service used by Ukraine's military for battlefield communications and drone operations.
The officials did not identify who issued the order or who was responsible for implementing it.
A senior U.S. official denied that President Donald Trump personally requested the restrictions, telling Reuters: "No such request was ever made by the president."
The White House did not answer questions about whether other administration officials had ordered the move.
The restrictions disrupted Ukrainian drone operations earlier this week, including strike missions against Russian forces and interceptor drones used to defend against incoming Russian attacks.
Ukrainian officials said Starshield terminals stopped functioning on fast-moving platforms. Service was subsequently restored for equipment traveling at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph).
Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported on October 15 that Starshield communications had resumed while investigations into the restrictions continued.
The disruption came amid mounting pressure from Washington for Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
According to Reuters, U.S. representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff criticized Ukraine's continued refinery attacks during an October 9 meeting in Miami involving Ukrainian and European officials.
The U.S. delegation also defended Washington's agreement to purchase Russian diesel, saying it hoped the arrangement would encourage Moscow to soften its position in peace negotiations.
Following the Starshield restrictions, Ukrainian officials sought explanations from the White House, State Department and Pentagon. A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv was informed the decision had come from the White House.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk previously said Starshield systems were controlled by the U.S. government and that decisions about speed and usage restrictions rested with the U.S. military or president.