Zelensky Adviser: Starlink Operation in Ukraine Restricted Overnight
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's president, said SpaceX introduced a speed limit on moving Starlink terminals overnight. He said Ukrainian forces were not warned, and several missions had to be halted.
The operation of a number of Starlink satellite internet terminals in Ukraine appears to have been restricted overnight. The statement came on Wednesday from Serhiy Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on defence technology development. Starlink belongs to SpaceX, the company of billionaire Elon Musk, and Ukraine uses it for battlefield communications, so any restriction affects the military's daily work.
What the adviser said
Beskrestnov said SpaceX imposed a speed limit on Starlink terminals that are in motion. According to him, Ukraine's defence forces were not warned about the restriction, which caused several missions to be interrupted. The adviser added that the move could apparently not be a coincidence and was linked to the current political situation.
Official's comment
A senior Ukrainian official told the news agency AFP that the disruptions primarily and seriously limit logistics. The official said some restrictions had already been reported the previous evening, so they coincided with a Russian ballistic missile attack earlier in the morning.
Background
Since Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Musk has changed his position on Ukraine several times. In August, Zelensky said Kyiv was trying to develop an alternative to Starlink together with a European country, which he did not name.
