Story perspectives

Musk Orders Starshield Slowdown, Ukraine Reports Speed Disconnects

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade Starshield service used by Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision rests with Musk, not the White House.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth called the slowdown a commercial issue governed by service terms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported terminals lose connection above 161 km/h, while EU tests succeeded at 180 km/h.

History

Historical Context

In 1999, Iridium Communications filed for bankruptcy after its 66-satellite constellation cost roughly $5 billion and failed to attract customers. The U.S. Department of Defense subsequently contracted Iridium for secure voice links, paying $1.2 billion to maintain the network for military units. Similarly, today Elon Musk’s SpaceX can unilaterally throttle the Starshield service supplying Ukraine, prompting statements from Secretary Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, and President Volodymyr Zelensky. The episode underscores how private satellite operators now wield strategic leverage over wartime communications, echoing the earlier shift when commercial constellations became defense assets.

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Story summary

Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade Starshield service used by Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision rests with Musk, not the White House.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth called the slowdown a commercial issue governed by service terms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported terminals lose connection above 161 km/h, while EU tests succeeded at 180 km/h.

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