In eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, an artillery unit engaged in frontline combat reported immediate disruptions after the U.S. government reduced satellite communications services provided by SpaceX’s Starlink network this week. The limitation affected internet speeds and communication with headquarters, complicating the unit’s ability to respond to the constant threat posed by drones and maintain up-to-date situational awareness.

The soldier, identified by the call sign Ukrlan and serving with the Special Rifle Police Battalion, described a noticeable decline in connectivity shortly after the reduction took effect. “The internet speed at our position deteriorated significantly, and communication with our headquarters and command was impaired,” he said from his bunker near the front line. Such impairments in connectivity can hinder the military’s capability to detect and counter missile and drone threats, a critical element in the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region.

U.S. officials confirmed that a directive from the White House prompted limitations on the use of SpaceX’s Starshield system, a military-grade version of Starlink used by Ukrainian forces for battlefield communications and drone control. However, a U.S. official denied claims that President Donald Trump personally ordered a slowdown of Starshield, a point Trump reiterated during a news briefing in Washington on October 16. Trump dismissed allegations that he or SpaceX founder Elon Musk orchestrated the reduction in service, stating that intelligence sharing with Ukraine remained unchanged.

The move has drawn criticism from Ukrainian authorities and Western partners, who view the slowdown as indirectly benefiting Russian military operations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed European leaders in Brussels that while Starlink services had seen some improvement, they had not yet been fully restored, a situation he said endangered civilian lives. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the importance of Starlink to Ukraine’s communication infrastructure, noting that European capabilities cannot currently replace the network.

The decision to temporarily restrict the Starshield system coincides with Trump’s reported pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump has publicly linked these strikes to rising energy prices in the United States, suggesting they could harm Republican electoral prospects ahead of the November midterm elections. Experts, however, contend that the price increases are largely driven by separate geopolitical factors, including tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

For Ukrainian forces on the ground, the consequences of these developments are tangible. Ukrlan reflected on Trump’s earlier promises to end the conflict promptly if re-elected, expressing disappointment at the lack of progress and escalating conditions. “At first he insisted very strongly that he would help us bring it to an end in a very short space of time,” Ukrlan said. “But we haven’t seen any sign of that at all. And things are just getting worse every day, every week.”