The authorities of Ukraine reported this Wednesday that the Starlink service, the satellite Internet system of SpaceX, the company of Elon Musk, essential for the communications of its Armed Forces, has suffered new restrictions applied without prior notice, "which has caused the interruption of several missions."
"I can confirm that tonight SpaceX has implemented a speed limit on the Starlink terminals," warned Serhi Beskrestnov, senior military and technological advisor to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for whom this interruption "cannot be a coincidence."
Beskrestnov pointed out that this decision "is related to the current political situation," in a veiled reference to the warnings from the United States to Kiev about the possibility of cutting the flow of Intelligence information and disabling Starlink if Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries did not stop.
According to the advisor to Zelensky, the new limitations not only affect long-range operations and logistics at the front line but also complicate the defense of airspace against unmanned aircraft.
"Starlink is the most effective solution to protect our airspace from 'Shahed' drones. With their actions, our allies are depriving us of one of the few opportunities to protect the country from 'Shahed' drones," he lamented.
In the same direction, sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, cited by local media, have expressed that the reduction in connectivity has forced the suspension and rescheduling of several planned missions.
Criticism from Poland to Elon Musk
International reactions have been immediate. The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski, has lashed out at Elon Musk, whom he called a "big guy," for "playing politics with his products again."
"Like your European customers, we are watching you," he warned in a brief message on social media. Sikorski and Musk had a public clash over this same issue more than a year ago, after the businessman hinted that he could disconnect Ukraine from Starlink due to the risk of non-payments.
Then, Sikorski recalled that Poland contributes 50 million dollars annually to finance the Starlink system in Ukraine and emphasized that "apart from the ethics of threatening the victim of aggression, if SpaceX turns out to be an unreliable provider," they would be "forced to look for other providers."
Musk targets Trump and the Pentagon
In a new comment on social media, the owner of SpaceX clarified that "the Starshield systems are owned by the United States Government and are under its control" and that it is Trump, ultimately, who decides their "limitations."
"Any limitation of speed or use is decided by the U.S. armed forces and, ultimately, the President of the United States," according to Musk.
The magnate also added that "Starlink is a commercial service owned by SpaceX and controlled by this company," and that its use "is limited to civil or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military actions, as this would be inappropriate for a commercial company."