--- title: "Elon Musk Says It Was the Pentagon That Shut Down Starlink for the Ukrainian Military" description: "Volodymyr Zelensky accused SpaceX of restricting access to Starshield. Neither Trump nor the White House are taking responsibility." date: "2026-10-15" modified: "2026-10-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/elon-musk-pentagon-shut-down-starlink-ukrainian-military" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "The Industrialists" --- # Elon Musk Says It Was the Pentagon That Shut Down Starlink for the Ukrainian Military ![Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk attends a press briefing held by U.S. President Donald Trump.]() *Finn Gomez/Getty Images/Futurism* In early 2022, not long after Russia's invasion began, SpaceX made good on CEO Elon Musk's promise by shipping thousands of Starlink broadband internet terminals to the front lines of Ukraine. The terminals quickly turned into a vital lifeline as many parts of the embattled region were plunged into the dark and cut off from the rest of the world. But Musk has been accused of playing both sides, with biographer Walter Isaacson [claiming]() the billionaire had secretly ordered SpaceX engineers not to turn on the Starlink satellite network near the Crimean coast in 2022 to disrupt what Musk called a "mini-Pearl Harbor." And as the war rages on some four years later, SpaceX's terminals are [once again making headlines](). Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused the space company of restricting access to its Starshield service, a military version of the service specifically developed for the Pentagon. Yet neither Musk nor the White House are [willing to take any blame for the disruption](), with both sides pointing fingers at each other. In fact, Musk has now thrown president Donald Trump [under the bus]() as the scandal deepens. "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," he [tweeted]() on Wednesday. "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX," he added. "Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company." It's a bizarre missive, especially considering what Ukraine's actions could easily be characterized as "defensive activities," as many users of Musk's social media network [pointed out](). Besides, there's no question Musk has an enormous amount of sway in Washington, DC, meaning he [easily could've had a say in the matter](). The timing was also suspicious, to say the least. As [*The Hill* reports](), Zelensky made his announcement just days after Trump announced a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin to buy millions of tons of diesel to lower prices in the US ahead of the rapidly approaching midterm elections. Lawmakers were appalled at the US seemingly dropping the ball on coming to Ukraine's aid. "Reports of Starlink failing in Ukraine are deeply alarming— potentially crippling air defense against Russia’s murderous missiles & drones," [tweeted]() senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on Wednesday, hours before Musk chimed in on the subject. "Trump & Musk must be held accountable." Meanwhile, a subdued Zelensky mourned the loss of US support. "Really, yes... but it’s a little bit more complicated ⁠than just my emotions or my feelings," he [said]() when asked if he feel betrayed by Trump on Wednesday. "It’s a pity that we are losing, we are losing a strong partner." By Thursday, the situation changed once more, with Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries resuming as Starlink and Starshield services had been restored to full capacity, as an unnamed Ukrainian official [told *Axios*](). **More on Starlink:** [*Elon Musk Furious at Starlink Being Used for American Suicide Drones*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()