Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ukraine said on Saturday that Starlink and its military version, Starshield, had returned to normal operating speeds after more than a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations. Hours later, Elon Musk, who owns the satellite systems, accused the Ukrainian military of violating their terms of service by using them for offensive drone attacks.
“Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” Musk said in a post on X. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond publicly to the allegation.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the systems had resumed operating at the speeds Ukraine needed. The restrictions, which capped speeds at 160 kph, had hampered efforts to intercept Russian attack drones and forced the cancellation of some military operations.
“The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need,” he said on the Telegram app.
RESTRICTIONS DISRUPTED MILITARY OPERATIONS
Starlink is crucial to Ukrainian frontline communications, while Starshield-enabled medium-range attack drones have helped Kyiv gain ground in several areas this year. Ukraine, however, does not rely on the systems for long-range drone attacks on Russian territory, including strikes on oil refineries.
The restrictions also coincided with disruptions to allied warnings about incoming Russian missile attacks, sparking anger in Kyiv. Ukraine later said it continued to receive US intelligence.
DISPUTE OVER WHO ORDERED RESTRICTIONS
Neither Musk nor the US government has publicly acknowledged responsibility for the restrictions, with both indicating that the other could have ordered them. Reuters has reported that the order to throttle Starshield came from within the White House.
The dispute unfolded amid broader tensions over US policy towards the war. The restrictions followed President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to buy Russian diesel while pressing Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries.
On Friday, Trump said he would “get it straightened out” if problems with the satellite systems persisted, despite previously saying their operations had been fully restored.
– Ends
With inputs from Reuters
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
