Musk pressed the button – and the Ukrainian army paid the price

Elon Musk ordered to limit the connection speed of the military Starlink system used by Ukraine, thereby severely damaging the ability to operate attack drones and intercept Russian missiles, according to the Wall Street Journal. The restrictions, which took effect on October 14, 2026, caused immense panic in Kyiv and great confusion in the Trump administration, with senior American officials divided over whether the president knew about it in advance. According to the report, Musk ordered last week to limit the speeds at which Ukrainian military equipment can connect to the network. The restrictions rendered some drones nearly unusable. In Kyiv, they claim that as a result, Russian missiles managed to evade defense systems. A fierce dispute erupted in the White House over who authorized the move. Musk posted a statement on X, attributing responsibility to the US military and the president. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied that the Pentagon ordered a reduction in aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that civilians and soldiers could pay with their lives. The background to the affair is growing tension between Trump and Zelensky following Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries in Russia.