Elon Musk orders temporary slowdown of Starlink service in Ukraine

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, ordered a temporary slowdown of Starlink's military version, Starshield, in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported the decision on 20 October 2026. The report cited U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. The slowdown was aimed at addressing security concerns.

The slowdown affected the speed of Starlink's internet service used by Ukrainian military units. The service is used for communications and control of drones, airplanes and helicopters. U.S. officials said the slowdown was implemented last week. The decision followed discussions with U.S. officials.

Ukraine said the slowdown hampered its ability to respond to Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials stated that reduced bandwidth limited drone operations. The slowdown also impacted air and helicopter missions. The impact was reported by Ukrainian officials.

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that the slowdown was temporary. They said the decision was made to mitigate potential security risks. They also said the slowdown would be lifted once the risks were addressed. They did not specify the exact duration.

S3 reported that the slowdown punctuated a breakdown in U.S.-Ukraine ties. Kyiv said Washington had resumed intelligence sharing. The slowdown was seen as part of broader tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine. The article also mentioned other points of contention such as the U.S. diesel deal with Moscow.