American entrepreneur Elon Musk proposed that US President Donald Trump restrict the speed of Starshield satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces to operate drones, and Trump agreed, The Telegraph reported, citing four sources familiar with the discussions.
According to the newspaper, the initiative came from Musk, and the subsequent decision by US authorities enabled the Pentagon to introduce technical restrictions.
One source claimed that Musk and Trump were jointly involved in making the decision. The Telegraph said the account was corroborated by a senior European official and two Ukrainian sources.
Musk denies responsibility for the restrictions. He previously said that decisions concerning the use of Starshield are made by the US military and, ultimately, the president.
Trump has also denied that he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine's satellite communication problems. An unnamed US official separately told AFP that the president had not ordered Starshield's capabilities to be reduced.
The Pentagon has not publicly explained the reasons for the restrictions.
According to The Telegraph, the restrictions affected Starshield terminals aboard objects traveling faster than 160 kilometers per hour. This complicated the use of the system to control high-speed Ukrainian drones, including those designed to intercept Russian aerial targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the restrictions as a dangerous and unpleasant surprise. On October 16, he said the system's operation was gradually being restored, although its previous speed capabilities had not yet been fully reinstated.
Starshield is a specialized military communications system based on the Starlink satellite network operated by SpaceX. Ukraine uses it, among other purposes, to maintain communications with drones during military operations.
The restrictions emerged amid disagreements between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump criticized the attacks, linking them to rising global oil prices.
The Telegraph's account of Musk's personal role is based on unnamed sources. There has been no independent confirmation of who initiated the restrictions.