A week-long speed restriction on Ukraine's military Starlink connection has crippled its air defenses, and reporting suggests Elon Musk personally ordered it rather than anyone in the actual chain of command — bad news for Ukraine, and a warning sign for every US ally that depends on American tech.

• Ukraine's drones can no longer fly fast enough to intercept Russian attack drones because of a new Starlink speed cap, letting Russia bombard the country almost unchecked.
• The Wall Street Journal and CBS News both report Musk ordered the slowdown himself, not the Pentagon or White House, though officials are now openly contradicting each other about who's responsible.
• Civilians are dying as a result, including children, and Congress has launched a rare bipartisan push for an investigation into whether SpaceX overstepped its contract.
• The deeper problem is that private companies like SpaceX and Palantir now control critical military infrastructure, giving billionaires leverage that used to belong only to governments.
• Europe and other US allies have few real alternatives to Starlink right now, but this episode is pushing them to urgently build their own independent systems instead of relying on Washington.

Outlook: Expect allies worldwide to accelerate efforts to reduce dependence on US-controlled tech, even though viable replacements are years away.