Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield remain in place and deliveries of agreed missile interceptors are still delayed, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s assurance that SpaceX had restored Ukraine’s access to the satellite systems.
“The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there. The speed has not been restored,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine was still waiting for interceptors intended to protect it against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
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“This is a real problem, because the Russians attack us almost every single day,” he said.
Trump said on Friday that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s access to the systems. On Friday, Trump told reporters that if a problem persisted, he would speak to Musk and get it resolved. Ukrainian officials, however, said the restrictions remained in place.
Zelenskyy said the restrictions had made conditions harder for Ukrainian forces, although he maintained that the frontline was holding and praised the performance of his troops.
“All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front. We keep defending positions,” he said.
HOW STARLINK RESTRICTIONS ARE AFFECTING UKRAINE
Ukraine relies on Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, for communications between military units and for coordinating operations on the battlefield. Starshield is its military-focused counterpart, designed for government and defence applications.
Ukrainian officials have said speed restrictions introduced on October 13 disrupted connections for drones travelling faster than 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph). The restrictions have affected some Ukrainian strike missions and efforts to intercept Russian drones, according to Reuters.
Starshield-enabled drones are used to guide attacks on Russian military targets and to help defend Ukrainian cities against Russian attack drones. The restrictions have complicated these operations, particularly against faster, jet-powered drones.
The dispute has also raised questions about who ordered the restrictions. Reuters reported that US and Western officials attributed the decision to the White House, while the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had personally ordered the slowdown. Neither Musk nor the US government has publicly accepted responsibility for imposing the restrictions.
Musk has said Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government and that decisions on its speed and use are made by the US military and ultimately the president. Trump has denied involvement in the slowdown, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said decisions on Ukraine’s access to Starlink rest with SpaceX and Musk.
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With inputs from Reuters
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
