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The American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" revealed on Tuesday that billionaire Elon Musk ordered last week to slow down a military version of the "Starlink" satellite internet service, which Ukrainian forces rely on for their military operations against Russia.
The newspaper quoted American officials and informed sources as saying that the restrictions imposed on the service affected Ukrainian operations, including drone attacks and air defense missions in the face of Russian attacks.
According to the report, the decision concerns the "Starshield" service, which is the military version of the Starlink network owned by Musk's company, "SpaceX".
Neither Musk, SpaceX, nor the White House responded to Reuters' requests for comment, while the agency confirmed it could not independently verify the information contained in the report.
Communications between Trump and Musk
The newspaper stated that US President Donald Trump and Musk discussed the decision to restrict the service during a phone call shortly after the issue of its speed reduction was revealed, while Trump was participating in an election campaign last week.
It added that the two sides also discussed the matter before the decision to impose restrictions on the service was made.
On Friday, Trump denied believing that he or Musk were responsible for Ukraine losing access to Starlink services in a way that affected its military operations against Russia.
Musk had previously said that the final decision regarding the use of the military version of Starlink, known as "Starshield", rests with Trump in his capacity as President of the United States.
Washington-Kyiv disputes
The report comes amid tensions between Washington and Kyiv regarding Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
According to information in the report, Trump asked Ukraine to stop targeting Russian oil refineries at a time when the US administration is seeking to limit rising fuel prices.
Trump had eased sanctions on Russian diesel in an attempt to ease pressure on energy markets following the sharp rise in prices since the outbreak of the American-Israeli war on Iran last February.
Trump's disputes with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have also escalated, as the US President called on Ukrainians to replace their president, according to the report.
The information published by "The Wall Street Journal" raises questions about the future of Ukraine's reliance on American satellite communication services in its military operations, and the extent to which decisions regarding their operation affect the capabilities of Ukrainian forces in confronting Russia.
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