Elon Musk on Wednesday denied Ukraine’s allegation that SpaceX had disrupted its military drone operations by restricting access to its Starlink satellite internet service without warning, saying any limits were imposed by the US government and not the company.
Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, deployed in the country’s south-east, said connections had been dropping for 10 to 20 seconds when drones travelled at speeds of 110 to 120 kmph. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk said on Wednesday, October 14, referring to US President Donald Trump . The reported disruption also drew criticism from Poland, which pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscriptions. Earlier reporting noted: Musk says Trump in charge after Ukraine blames SpaceX’s Starshield for drone mission disruptions Elon Musk has said the US government, not SpaceX, is responsible for any restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its Starshield satellite communications system, after Ukrainian officials reported disruptions to military drone missions. Ukrainian officials reported that some military units had to cancel missions after their systems lost connections.
Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk said. “The drones kept moving, but these interruptions made them harder to control,” the corps said in a statement to news agency Reuters. A source in Ukraine’s defence ministry said the restrictions had significantly complicated logistics and some drone operations. Earlier reporting noted: His response came after Ukraine said restrictions on military-grade satellite services had affected drones used for both attacks and defence.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski directly challenged Musk over the issue.
Earlier reporting noted: “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.
The dispute comes amid worsening relations between Kyiv and Washington after US President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel last week and criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.