Zelenskyy cites test results, calls Ukraine Starlink restrictions a ‘planned operation’
Zelenskyy says Ukrainian tests show Starlink speed limits are affecting military drones. (Image courtesy: Wikimedia)
New Delhi: The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused those responsible for speed limits on the military Starlink system in Ukraine of carrying out a “planned operation” to undermine Ukraine’s defences against Russia’s attacks. The limits have affected Ukrainian drones, and there are conflicting claims about who imposed them.
Starlink terminals on drones worked at speeds of more than 180kmph in the European Union but failed to connect above 160kmph in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, Financial Times reported. The tests in Ukraine were meant to find out whether the restrictions were due to technical reasons, as the US had indicated, or were deliberately imposed by the US.
The limits have affected Ukrainian drones deployed to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones. Ukrainian troops have complained that the limits have made their drones more vulnerable to Russian defences. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has started using its fighter jets to shoot down Russian drones, with a success rate of more than 50 per cent.
It was also reported by the Telegraph that Musk approached the US president, Donald Trump, about imposing speed limits on Starlink in Ukraine. According to reports, Trump agreed to the proposal, which paved the way for speed limits on Starshield, the military variant of Starlink. The US government has not officially confirmed the claims.
According to Musk, all decisions on speed or usage limits were made by the US military and, finally, by the president. Trump, on the other hand, said neither he nor Musk was behind the restrictions.
The disagreement comes amid worsening ties between Trump and Zelenskyy. The US president has criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries and called Zelenskyy a tougher negotiator than Putin. Trump has also chosen not to impose new sanctions on Russia, and he made a deal that will allow Russian diesel to be supplied to the US and international markets.
According to Zelenskyy, the Starlink signals would be fixed after talks between the Ukrainian defence ministry and its partners, but the system had not yet returned to its earlier speeds. A bipartisan group of US senators has requested an investigation. By Saturday, no official had announced conclusively who restricted the service.
