In brief
Former President Donald Trump rejected claims that he ordered a slowdown of Ukraine’s Starlink satellite internet amid ongoing conflict. Elon Musk hinted U.S. officials may have been behind a speed restriction that halted high‑velocity drone connectivity. The move, triggered amid a series of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, has prompted U.S. senators to demand an investigation and highlighted the critical link between digital and energy resilience in wartime Ukraine.
Former President Donald Trump said he had no involvement in limiting Ukraine’s access to the Starlink network, a claim that follows a recent speed cut that hampered Kyiv’s defence against Russian drones.
The decision, allegedly ordered from within the White House, forced Starlink to constrain satellite speeds to 100 mph (160 km/h), meaning high‑velocity weapons lost network connectivity during a series of deadly strikes that left around 600,000 Ukrainian civilians without power.
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, hinted that the U.S. machinery might have driven the restriction, a point echoed by Reuters citing officials from Washington and Brussels. Ukraine’s commander Volodymyr Zelensky has called the cut a “disgrace” and warned that further attacks on Russian oil refineries would prompt a ceasefire of his own.
The setback highlights how digital infrastructure and energy‑grid resilience are intertwined in modern warfare. Satellite internet, a cornerstone of Ukraine’s artillery coordination, plays a similar role to renewable energy dispatch during supply shocks—both require reliable, high‑speed data links to sustain strategic advantage.
A bipartisan Senate group has petitioned the Pentagon to investigate the abrupt slowdown, demanding transparency over the order that allegedly impaired Ukraine’s defensive operations against drones and missiles.
Meanwhile, European leaders, reinforced by French President Emmanuel Macron’s vow at the Brussels summit, reiterated that EU states will not abandon Ukraine. The discussion underscores the need for coordinated digital and energy security policies to protect vulnerable civilians amid warfare.
