STORY
Elon Musk has said the US Government controls restrictions on SpaceX’s military satellite service after Ukrainian officials reported disruption to drone operations. Writing on X, Musk said limits on the speed or use of Starshield were determined by the US military and ultimately President Donald Trump. He distinguished the system from commercial Starlink, which he said was restricted to civilian or defensive activities.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said military terminals had unexpectedly lost connectivity when travelling above approximately 100mph, disrupting several missions without prior warning. Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps said some connections had dropped for between ten and twenty seconds at lower speeds, making drones harder to control and forcing the cancellation of operations. The restrictions concerned the movement of terminals, rather than the speed of internet downloads.
Ukrainian officials reported that connectivity had subsequently improved, but called for the remaining limits to be removed. The disruption has raised questions about responsibility for restrictions on a service used for battlefield communications and drone operations. Musk’s statement attributed control of Starshield to Washington, but did not establish who authorised the reported changes or why they were introduced.