Musk refutes Ukraine's charge of crippling Starlink
Elon Musk has denied allegations that SpaceX intentionally crippled Starlink services for Ukrainian military drones, stating that usage limits are controlled by the U.S. government. The dispute follows reports of connectivity issues during drone operations, which have strained relations between Kyiv and Washington.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the complex intersection of private technology infrastructure, national security, and geopolitical influence in modern warfare.
Elon Musk on Wednesday denied Ukraine’s allegation that SpaceX had disrupted its military drone operations by restricting access to its Starlink satellite internet service without warning, saying any limits were imposed by the US government and not the company.“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk said.His response came after Ukrainian military officials reported disruptions to Starlink connections on military-grade terminals moving at high speeds, complicating efforts to use the satellite internet service to guide drones.“Our defence forces did not receive a warning about this limitation, and this led to the disruption of several missions,” presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram.Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the country’s south-east, said connections had been dropping for 10 to 20 seconds when drones travelled at speeds of 110 to 120 kmph.“The drones…
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