According to Bloomberg, on October 16 local time, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he did not order restrictions on Ukraine's use of SpaceX's 'Starlink' satellite technology. He also believed that Elon Musk did not issue such an order.
Trump said to reporters on that day: "It’s not me, and I also believe it’s not Elon. I don’t know if it was done by someone else."
"Star Shield" is a satellite communication system developed by SpaceX under Musk's leadership. It is regarded as the military version of "Starlink", used for military communications and operational activities, including controlling drones and guiding artillery attacks.
The United States Department of Defense is the largest client for the Star Shield system. Star Shield also serves as a key support for Ukraine’s air defense system in resisting Russian drones.
Ukrainian officials stated earlier this week that the 'Star Shield' receivers installed on high-speed moving devices are not functioning properly, affecting the operation of Ukrainian drones that rely on this system for navigation and control.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Trump and Musk of ordering these restrictions. Zelenskyy said that these restrictions have directly led to civilian deaths.
As of local time on the 15th, the service interruption issue has been resolved, and Kiev has resumed access to “Star Shield”. Trump said on the 16th: “As far as I know, everything is back to normal.”
This is Trump's first public statement regarding this ongoing controversy. However, his stance is unlikely to satisfy Ukraine and its allies. All parties still demand an investigation into who made the decision to restrict Ukraine from using SpaceX satellite technology at the front lines.
Musk stated on social media on the 14th that the 'Star Shield' system used in Ukraine is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and any restrictions regarding its usage speed or purpose are decided by the U.S. military or the president.
On the 14th, an unnamed source informed Bloomberg that SpaceX has implemented restrictions on the number of satellite terminals connected.
According to Reuters on October 15, several sources said that the order restricting Ukraine’s use of the 'Star Shield' system came from within the White House.
According to two American officials and a Western official who attended a briefing on the matter, senior members of the US Department of Defense were informed to slow down the operation of the 'Star Shield' service provided to the Ukrainian military.
The officials all requested anonymity. They did not disclose who within the White House made this decision, nor who was responsible for carrying out the order.
