The decision to restrict the operation of the Starshield satellite system, which the Ukrainian military uses for communications and drone control, came from the White House. Reuters reports this, citing 2 U.S. officials and 1 Western official familiar with the situation, UNN writes.
Details
According to sources, Pentagon leadership was instructed to slow down Starshield’s operation for the Ukrainian military. At the same time, the agency’s sources did not specify who exactly in the U.S. administration made the decision.
The restrictions significantly affected the operation of Ukrainian drones. In particular, they complicated strikes on Russian troops and logistics in the occupied territories, as well as the use of interceptor drones against "Shaheds." Currently, the terminals operate while in motion only at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
The White House denies Trump’s involvement
A senior U.S. official told Reuters that President Donald Trump did not personally demand that the system’s operation be restricted. At the same time, the White House did not respond to whether other administration officials could have made such a decision.
The restrictions were introduced amid increasing pressure from Washington on Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. According to Reuters, the U.S. side repeatedly demanded that these attacks be halted.
After the problems emerged, Ukrainian officials contacted the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon. According to a senior Ukrainian official, Kyiv was told that the restrictions were specifically a decision by the White House.