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The latest “The High Ground” podcast is out now, including on Apple podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas… Space has been in the news this week, @seanbellanalyst and I explore why…
So, if true, this confirms Musk throttled back Starlink and probably Starshield, & Vance is suggesting that it was within his gift to do that. And does he really want us to believe that 4 years in America hasn’t decided its policy yet? They are really struggling to explain this.
JD Vance on Starlink:
Elon Musk runs a private corporation, and I think it's completely understandable that he doesn't want to get in the middle of what is a war between two state actors without the United States government effectively directing him on what to do.
I don't think this is about Elon. I think it's fundamentally what is America's policy in Ukraine and Russia going to be.
Ukraine’s oil strike strategy is working. It’s why Putin is trying everything to get them to stop. Ukraine should persevere.
NEW: Rosneft deep dive by Bloomberg News
+ Officials at Russia’s largest oil producer are concerned that even a few more months of the war with Ukraine could leave lasting damage across the business.
+ One of Rosneft’s biggest refineries, Ryazan, has been shut for more than half the time since it was first hit by Ukraine in May and has run well below full capacity when operating, according to damage assessments seen by Bloomberg.
+ Another, Syzran, has spent much of the past six months either completely shut or operating at less than a third of capacity, according to data reviewed by Bloomberg. The Tuapse refinery has been offline since April.
+ Ukraine is conducting repeat strikes on the refineries as soon as repairs are completed or nearing completion. The need to repeatedly repair damaged equipment is straining operations and causing costs to pile up to levels that Rosneft officials have privately warned cannot be sustained long-term.
+ Some plants have deliberately slowed repairs as a result, stretching work that should take days into weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
+ Efforts to protect the facilities with shipping containers, nets and steel cables have proved ineffective against swarms of drones, company plans show.
+ The damage is particularly difficult to repair when strikes hit complex secondary units, whose parts would previously have been sourced from the West. It means relying on Russian-made copies and Chinese imports that can take months to obtain and are not always compatible with existing machinery.
+ It’s put Rosneft into financial trouble. Even before the ramping up of Ukraine’s drone campaign, the company saw a “perfect storm” for its finances. Since then, its profits are down and debt is rising despite what should have been a big windfall from the Iran war.
+ Moscow Credit Bank, which is linked to Rosneft, is showing signs of distress with $8 billion of problem loans. It highlights how both Russia’s energy and banking sectors are coming under strain at the same time, a dynamic causing concern to Russian finance officials.
All this and much more in the full story here: bloomberg.com/news/features/…
Hubbard was alleged by Russia to be a mercenary in Ukraine (at the age of 70!). His release is welcome, but the price Trump paid for his release will increase the likelihood of future, similar detentions. I doubt many people have apologised or celebrated such a one-sided deal.
Greg Bagwell retweeted
Current and former Pentagon officials are ready to give Congress damaging information about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Democrats have already contacted potential whistleblowers.
They plan to investigate Hegseth if they win the House in November’s midterms, as widely expected.
They intend to subpoena his inner circle, including his wife and top aide Ricky Buria.
Forced-out officials such as former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll could also testify.
One source said officials would quietly “spill their guts” to the Armed Services Committee.
Investigators are expected to focus on the Signalgate leak, missile interceptor shortages in the Iran war, strikes on alleged drug boats, and Pentagon contracts.
A Democratic lawmaker said the eventual goal is impeachment.
But conviction requires two-thirds of the Senate, and no cabinet secretary has ever been convicted.
Some believe Trump is more likely to fire Hegseth to stop the flow of embarrassing stories.
Source: The Telegraph
Greg Bagwell retweeted
My take: Putin gave up nothing by releasing a 74-year-old American held as a pawn for this type of moment. Putin is not a humanitarian, despite how Mr Witkoff addressed him. And whereas President Trump says he gave up nothing for Stephen Hubbard's release, you will hear all the experts correctly say that he did: busting his own sanctions for a diesel deal with Putin that could put $4 billion into his war chest; inviting Putin to the G20; and dumping Putin's victim, Ukraine, face down in the mud, as it tries to defend its sovereignty and its freedom. You’ve heard the historians call all this appeasement, going against America's own democratic values.
nytimes.com/2026/10/21/us/po…
Greg Bagwell retweeted
Let me clear up some common misconceptions regarding Starlinkand Starshield.
1. As of October 21, Starlink's Terms of Service do not impose a blanket prohibition on military use, although its incorporated Acceptable Use Policy restricts military activities and drone operations without appropriate authorization. Given Ukraine's extensive and publicly acknowledged military use of Starlink over several years, it stretches credulity to suggest that SpaceX was unaware of or had not acquiesced to at least some military applications. It is also striking that the disruption coincided with disagreements over Ukraine's policy of targeting Russian refineries and data centers, as well as Musk's tweet that "This has gone too far."
2. While the Pentagon exercises operational authority over U.S.-procured Starshield services, SpaceX owns and operates the underlying Starlink network and infrastructure on which certain Starshield services depend. The precise division of technical and contractual authority remains disputed.
3. SpaceX does not provide Starlink and Starshield services to Ukraine for free. Ukraine, Poland, and Germany pay for Starlink terminals and subscriptions, while Starshield is supplied through U.S. government contractual arrangements. SpaceX is a commercial defense contractor being paid to provide critical military communications services, not a charitable benefactor. Its unilateral restriction of contracted services, if established, could constitute a breach of contract and could expose SpaceX to considerable liability.
4. Full service has not been restored. Ukrainian officials continue to report operational restrictions affecting Starlink and/or Starshield services.
5. Starlink is not the only satellite communications platform available or being developed. Alternatives include Eutelsat OneWeb, GOVSATCOM, and the planned European IRIS2 constellation, although these are not yet complete substitutes for Starlink's capabilities. Nevertheless, they do indicate a willingness to look beyond SpaceX as a provider of these services.
There has been much in the news recently about the SpaceX provided systems known as STARLINK and STARSHIELD. So what are they and what differences are there, and why is it in the news? Here’s a useful summary: defensenews.com/industry/tec… but let’s try and make it simple. 🧵1/9
9/ Hegseth implies that T&Cs may have been exceeded (remember he has Musk on his new Project Meridian Advisory Board), and Trump and Rubio now appear to be pointing the finger at Musk as they insist no White House edict was given. They can’t all be telling the truth, can they?
The words of an innocent man?
Hardly the behaviour of a country run by a “great humanitarian”?
As just announced in the @UN First Committee, Russia’s COSMOS 2612 military satellite has been exhibiting threatening behavior by intentionally maneuvering dangerously close to a commercial satellite, behaviors consistent with on-orbit weapons operations. This violates long-established safety thresholds in low Earth orbit. The United States will continue to secure and defend American vital national security interests in, from, and to space.
Musk now has a simple choice: be the fall guy or the prime witness in Trump’s impeachment?
Some have questioned what Trump might be impeached for. Well let’s see…1️⃣ Treason - by aiding an enemy of America i.e. Russia 2️⃣ Bribery - offers of deals by Russia to aid them in their war in order to benefit the Trump family or close associates












