Restrictions on Ukraine’s military use of SpaceX’s Starlink system appear to be deliberate and not the result of any technical problems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
Speed limitations on the Starshield internet network remain in place across Ukraine resulting in a significant slowing down of connections, Zelenskyy said in audio messages to reporters on WhatsApp.
Ukraine sent vehicles connected to Starshield to Europe to conduct speed checks and found they operated normally, Zelenskyy said. The restrictions “are on the territory of Ukraine – so it is a planned operation,” he said.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he didn’t order any limitations on Ukraine’s access to the system and didn’t think SpaceX Chairman Elon Musk had either. Musk on Wednesday said “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately” the president.
Ukraine depends on Starshield, a militarized version of Starlink, to help its air defenses intercept jet-powered drones that Russia is firing daily at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, as well as to target artillery strikes. Ukrainian defense officials noted this week that their access to the system had slowed down, as tensions flared between Washington and Kyiv over a diesel deal Trump struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy said Russia carried out one of its largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, targeting 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities. He has accused Trump and Musk of ordering the limits on Starshield, which he says has led to civilian deaths in Ukraine.
Ukrainian interceptors lose connection with Starshield at speeds above 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), while the Russian drones are traveling at around 400 km per hour, Zelenskyy said.
“We lose Starlink and lose the interceptor,” he said Saturday. The restrictions “prevent us from defending ourselves and protecting our people, both at the front and among the civilian population.”
In his audio messages, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was using F-16 fighter jets to shoot down about 60% of jet-powered drones and fresh ammunition was being delivered to Kyiv to assist air defenses.
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.