Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was “done” adhering to President Donald Trump’s purported energy ceasefire ignored by Russia.
“The block is out. We’re done,” President Zelenskyy told The Financial Times after Russia launched a string of ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv on Oct. 13, 2026, amid President Trump’s imposed energy ceasefire.
Ukrainian Defenses Obstructed During Russian Strike
The Russian attack produced skepticism about the U.S.’s involvement after Ukrainian officials revealed that restrictions were imposed on the country’s U.S.-made Starlink communication terminals.
Ukrainian officials also said they received no warning of Russia’s initial attack, only receiving warnings of the later three waves of missiles.
Republican Lawmaker Probes Elon Musk
The restrictions and failed warnings led Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) to question Starlink CEO Elon Musk about the restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink terminals mounted on its drones.
“[Elon Musk], please tell me these overnight disruptions to Starlink terminals in Ukraine were unintended - that [SpaceX] is doing everything it can to fix a temporary glitch,” Tillis wrote. “Can you clarify the SpaceX position?”
Musk Clarifies The U.S. Controls Starshield Systems
In a separate response to Ukraine’s minister of defense, Musk clarified that the U.S. government controls the company’s Starshield Systems.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately [the President of the United States],” Musk wrote. “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.”
White House Officials Claim The Opposite
However, White House officials reportedly told Ukrainian officials the opposite.
“White House officials told the Ukrainians they don't have control over SpaceX, the sources said,” according to Barak Ravid, a global affairs correspondent for Axios. “One of the sources said the Trump administration is going to reach out to SpaceX to figure out what happened.”
