Reuters: Order to restrict Ukraine's StarShield, a satellite system used for battlefield communications and drone operations, issued from inside the White House

The order to restrict a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations was issued from within the White House, according to two U.S. officials and one Western official briefed on the matter.

Reuters wrote: According to two American and one Western official briefed on the matter, the order to restrict a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations was issued from within the White House.

According to "Select" report; This article continues: These officials said that the managers of the US Department of Defense received a message that Starshield (Starshield) services of the SpaceX company should be more limited for the Ukrainian military.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing the order. The Pentagon is StarShield's largest customer; A military-capable version of the Starlink service.

Ukrainian officials announced this week that military Starlink receivers in Ukraine fail when mounted on high-speed objects; An issue that has hampered the performance of Ukrainian drones that rely on these systems, which they use to navigate inside Ukraine.

The receivers now work on the move, but only at speeds up to 100 mph (160 km/h), a Ukrainian Defense Ministry official said Thursday.

US pressure on Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian refineries

The temporary restriction of the vital communications system came as US President Donald Trump pressured Kiev to end its attacks on Russian refineries. Trump has blamed the attacks on sharply rising energy prices that hurt his Republican Party's prospects in November's midterm elections.

However, experts say that the increase in energy costs is mainly the result of the US-Israel war against Iran; A war that has resulted in Iran's attacks on energy facilities and has practically blocked the vital Strait of Hormuz to a large extent.

Asked for comment on the order to restrict StarShield, a senior US official said: "The president has never made such a request."

The White House did not respond to questions about whether other officials in the US government may have made such a request.

Starshield is exclusively developed by SpaceX for government customers and national security agencies, especially the US Department of Defense. The main infrastructure of this system is based on the Starlink satellite system.

Ukrainian officials said the restrictions have complicated strike missions against Russian forces and the country's support and supply lines in occupied territories, and have slowed the performance of interceptor drones used to shoot down witness Russian drones.

On April 10, 2025, in the midst of Russia's attack on Ukraine, soldiers of the 68th "Olexa Dubush" Independent Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces deploy the Starlink satellite internet system near the frontline city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, wrote on the X social network on Wednesday that since the Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, any restrictions on the speed or extent of their use will be determined by the US military or the president.

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

The US Department of Defense and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated in recent days, after a meeting in Miami on October 9, in which representatives from the two countries, Europe and the World Bank were present.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and Steve Wittkoff, the Trump administration's Middle East envoy, took a tough stance on Ukraine at the meeting, according to another person with knowledge of the matter. They told Ukrainian officials that the United States was unhappy with Kiev's continued attacks on Russian refineries, despite Washington's repeated calls for them to stop.

The US delegation also explained Washington's decision to agree on a diesel deal with Russia, saying the White House hoped the deal would soften Moscow's position in peace talks.

According to this agreement, Russia will supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to the American and world markets. This agreement has faced the negative reaction of some American lawmakers; They say the deal would provide Moscow with the financial resources it needs to continue the war without forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to make concessions to end the war.

In the days since, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump have criticized each other. Zelensky called the US decision on the gasoil agreement with Russia "weak". Trump also called for holding elections in Ukraine and removing Zelensky.

Behind the scenes, US officials had threatened to stop providing information to Kiev about Russian missile launches; Information that Ukraine uses to counter attacks. Reuters reported this earlier. Trump said Tuesday that Washington continues to share intelligence with Ukraine.

After moving to limit Ukraine's access to StarShield, Ukrainian officials called senior White House, State Department and Pentagon officials on Tuesday and Wednesday to explain the decision, a senior Ukrainian official said. According to the official, Kiev has been told that the decision has been made in the White House.

Reuters reported in 2024 that the Pentagon spent billions of dollars on Starlink and StarShield services. This ministry has also purchased dedicated Starshield satellites; including communications satellites used in missile warning missions and a spy satellite system for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).