The Pentagon then imposed restrictions on Starshield, the military version of Starlink, affecting devices moving faster than 160 km/h, the newspaper reported. The measure complicated Ukraine's counter-drone defense, since Starshield is used in part to intercept jet-powered drones.
According to The Telegraph, Musk feared a negative reaction from European users and tried to distance himself from the decision. One of the newspaper's interlocutors said both Trump and Musk were involved in making it. A senior European official and two Ukrainian sources confirmed that account.
The Starshield restrictions appeared on the night of October 14, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. On October 15 the ministry said the system's operation in field conditions had resumed. On October 16, Volodymyr Zelensky reported that communications were being gradually restored, noting that the restrictions had not yet been fully lifted.
Trump said on October 16 that neither he nor Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing access to Starlink. Musk had earlier claimed that decisions on the speed limits and the use of Starshield are made by the US military and ultimately by the US president. The Pentagon has not publicly explained the reasons for the restrictions.
Reuters, citing two US officials and one Western interlocutor, reported that the instruction to restrict the systems for Ukraine came from the White House.
According to The Telegraph, the US had earlier warned Ukrainian negotiators that Washington could halt intelligence sharing and other forms of support if Kyiv did not stop long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries.