Hegseth denied the Pentagon's involvement in limiting Starlink military terminals for Ukraine
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon did not issue any orders to limit the operation of the Starshield military satellite system (a special military version of Starlink) used by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. According to him, decisions regarding the terms of service may be made by the company SpaceX.
Hegseth said this on October 20 during a conversation with journalists. His statement is fully cited by the American television channel CBS News.
"We have not limited anything. There are terms of service that must be adhered to. It is Starlink that has the right to make decisions here. But from our point of view, nothing has changed. We have not issued any orders of this nature", the Pentagon chief stated.
He also emphasized that the American side wishes the Ukrainians success.
At the same time, American media report that the decision to limit Starshield may have been personally made by Elon Musk. According to information from The Wall Street Journal, the founder of SpaceX ordered a reduction in the speed of the military satellite network, which caused problems with the use of Ukrainian attack drones and interceptor drones.
CBS News sources confirmed that Musk discussed the situation with representatives of the Donald Trump administration before imposing the restrictions. At the same time, some American officials claim that neither the US president nor the Pentagon gave a specific order to hinder the operation of Ukrainian drones.
Musk himself previously stated that the Starshield system is under the control of the US government, and decisions on limiting speed or use of communications are made by the US military leadership and ultimately the president.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported problems with Starshield that affected the ability of the Ukrainian military to intercept Russian attack drones. According to him, some restrictions remained in effect even after partial restoration of the system's operation.
Meanwhile, the US Congress demands to establish those responsible for the disruptions. On October 19, four US senators appealed to SpaceX demanding an explanation of the reasons for the restrictions, to determine who made the corresponding decisions, and to provide information about the company's contacts with federal authorities.
The senators expect a response by November 2. Thus, despite the Pentagon's denial, the question of the initiator of the Starshield restrictions remains open.
Based on materials from: CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate
