Media: Musk was behind the decision to limit the operation of the Starshield network

We did not backtrack anything. But there are terms of service that ultimately must be met, and it is in these matters that Starlink has the ability to make decisions. Nothing has changed on our side - said Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth during his visit to Wisconsin. This was his answer to journalists' questions about the limitations of Starshield, the military version of the Starlink satellite internet network in Ukraine. Hegseth also denied that US policy towards Ukraine has changed at all. However, he admitted that regarding the delivery of intercept missiles to the Patriot air defense system, the United States' priorities are its own needs. According to Ukrainian officials, Hegseth withheld the transfer of this type of equipment to Ukraine from third countries. Authorities in Kyiv also claim that in recent days the United States has not provided Ukraine with warnings about Russian attacks using ballistic missiles on several occasions. Rubio claims that there have been no changes in information exchange and denied that the US is taking actions to harm Ukraine. Media: Musk decided to limit the operation of the Starshield network Hegseth's statement, along with earlier denials by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mark Rubio, conflict with the claims of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Ukrainian military personnel and experts, who believe that the network has stopped working for objects moving faster than 160 km/h. This limits Kyiv's ability to intercept drones and effectively combat Russian missiles on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine uses both the commercial Starlink network and the military Starshield. Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, to whom this network belongs, claims that Starlink cannot be used for military purposes, and in the case of Starshield, the authorities make the decisions. According to the British newspaper "The Telegraph", it was Musk who was behind the decision to limit the network's operation. On Tuesday, the "Wall Street Journal" also confirmed this. The "WSJ" added that although Musk personally made the decision, he discussed the matter with Trump after the slowdown became apparent. One source claims that they also discussed it before the decision. Some American officials, however, believe that Musk acted on his own, and Trump did not order any retaliation against Ukraine. The president himself denied making the decision, and on Monday, he told journalists that he does not know who did it and wants to find out. After the matter was revealed, Musk wrote on the X platform that the Pentagon and "the president" decide on the limitations. As reported by the "WSJ", representatives of SpaceX sought in the White House to present a unified position: that the actions were taken according to the company and the Trump administration. The Problem for Ukraine Military analyst Michael Kofman from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told the newspaper that the limitations still hinder Ukrainian offensive operations and air defense. In his opinion, the speed limit is currently below 130 km/h, compared to the previous 160 km/h. Due to the introduced limitations, some of Ukrainian strike and intercept drones have become practically useless. Ukrainian officials claim that the limitations have allowed Russian missiles to evade air defense. Charge d'affairs of Ukraine in Washington, Denys Sienik, said on Tuesday that Kyiv is still waiting for official explanations from the Pentagon and SpaceX. Ukraine also wants to know whether full connectivity will be restored.