White House Officials Directed Starshield Limits for Ukraine, Reuters Reports
The reported order to slow the military satellite service complicated Ukrainian drone operations, while Washington did not identify who made the decision.
Key takeaways
- Reuters reported that the order to slow Starshield came from inside the White House.
- Ukrainian officials said the limits complicated strike missions and slowed interceptor drones.
- A Ukrainian Defense Ministry official said receivers worked in motion only up to 100 miles per hour.
An order to slow SpaceX’s Starshield service for Ukraine’s military came from inside the White House, Reuters reported, citing two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. The officials did not say who made the decision or who was responsible for carrying it out.
A senior US official said the president had not requested the restriction. The White House did not answer questions about whether another administration official had made the request.
Ukrainian officials said the limits complicated attacks on Russian forces and logistics in occupied territory. They also slowed interceptor drones used against incoming Russian Shahed drones. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry official said Thursday that receivers were again working while moving, but only at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
The Pentagon is Starshield’s largest customer. The reported restriction came as President Donald Trump pressed Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries. Ukrainian officials contacted senior White House, State Department and Pentagon officials on Tuesday and Wednesday, and were told the decision came from the White House, a senior Ukrainian official said.
This article was produced with the help of AI technology. Based on reporting by the outlets listed above.
