 |
Illustrative image of satellite dishes in a green field in Germany, amid concerns over Starshield restrictions affecting Ukrainian drone missions.
White House Officials Ordered Limits on Ukraine’s Starshield Access, Sources Say
WASHINGTON — October 16, 2026
An order to restrict Ukraine’s access to Starshield, a satellite communications service used by its military, came from within the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official familiar with the matter. The decision prompted concerns in Kyiv because Ukrainian forces rely on satellite connectivity to support drone operations and military communications.
The officials said senior Defense Department leaders received instructions that the SpaceX-operated service needed to be restricted. They did not identify who inside the White House made the decision or who carried it out. A senior US official, however, said President Donald Trump had not requested the move, stating that no such request had come from him.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions disrupted military operations, including drone strikes against Russian forces and supply routes in occupied areas. They also affected interceptor drones used to destroy incoming Russian Shahed attack drones, according to Ukrainian officials.
A person in Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Starlink receivers were again functioning while moving, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, or about 160 kilometres per hour. Ukrainian officials had reported earlier in the week that the devices stopped working when installed on fast-moving objects, creating problems for drones that use satellite connections for navigation and guidance.
Starshield is a military-grade communications service developed by SpaceX for government and national-security customers, particularly the US Department of Defense. It uses the same satellite network that supports Starlink, the company's commercial satellite internet service, while serving specialised government needs.
The restrictions came amid growing tension between Washington and Kyiv over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump has pressed Ukraine to halt the strikes, blaming them for contributing to rising energy prices that could hurt his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.
Energy experts cited in the source report have pointed instead to the US-Israeli war with Iran as a major cause of higher energy costs. Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted a key route for global oil and gas shipments.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said on Wednesday that decisions to limit Starshield’s speed or use rested with the US military or the president because the US government owns and controls the systems. SpaceX, the Pentagon and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
Relations between the United States and Ukraine have also worsened following a meeting in Miami on October 9 involving representatives from both countries, European officials and the World Bank. A person familiar with the meeting said US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner expressed frustration with Kyiv’s continued attacks on Russian refineries despite repeated requests from Washington to stop them.
During the meeting, the US delegation also explained a decision to arrange a diesel supply deal with Russia. Washington hoped the agreement would encourage Moscow to take a more flexible position in peace negotiations, according to people familiar with the matter.
Under the reported deal, Russia is expected to supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to US and global markets. The agreement has drawn criticism from some US lawmakers, who argue that the revenue could help Russia finance its war against Ukraine without requiring significant concessions from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the days after the meeting, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy exchanged criticism. Zelenskiy described the US decision on the Russian diesel deal as weak, while Trump called for elections in Ukraine and Zelenskiy’s removal.
US officials also threatened privately to stop sharing intelligence about Russian missile launches with Kyiv, according to an earlier report cited in the source material. Ukraine uses such information to help respond to Russian attacks. Trump said on Tuesday that Washington was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
After the Starshield restrictions took effect, Ukrainian officials contacted senior figures at the White House, State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday and Wednesday to seek an explanation. A senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv was told the decision had been made by the White House.
The Pentagon has spent billions of dollars on Starlink and Starshield services. It has also purchased dedicated Starshield satellites for government missions, including missile-warning communications and a reconnaissance network operated for the National Reconnaissance Office.
The episode highlights how Ukraine’s reliance on US-linked satellite technology has become an important factor in its military operations, as disagreements over the war and peace negotiations strain relations between Washington and Kyiv.
