Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Starshield terminals in Russian-occupied territories have faced a 161 kph speed limit for five days. Top military and foreign ministry officials have been instructed to engage SpaceX directly to address the disruption. The company denied altering its network operations, even as Kyiv notes this mirrors a mid-October dispute where speeds were capped at 160 kph during tensions with the Trump administration over strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Key points
Kyiv views operational limits in occupied territories as politically hazardous measures t…: Kyiv views operational limits in occupied territories as politically hazardous measures that implicitly treat them as non-Ukrainian territory.
High-level Ukrainian military and foreign affairs officials have been instructed to seek…: High-level Ukrainian military and foreign affairs officials have been instructed to seek formal clarification from SpaceX.
This incident follows a similar mid-October cap of roughly 160 kph that was eventually re…: This incident follows a similar mid-October cap of roughly 160 kph that was eventually restored on Oct. 24.
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The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has raised the issue with SpaceX at the institutional level, Zelenskyy said.
KYIV: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy escalated his criticism of SpaceX on Saturday (Nov 14), saying speed restrictions on its military-grade Starshield satellite terminals had dangerous political implications and undermined critical air defences.
Zelenskyy said Starshield terminals operating in temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine had been limited to a maximum speed of 161 kph for the past five days, hampering Ukraine's military capabilities.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has raised the issue with SpaceX at the institutional level, Zelenskyy said.
"The restrictions have now been in place for five days. They say it is some kind of technical issue. We do not believe that is the case," Zelenskyy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.
"If you impose restrictions there, you are already partially recognising the temporarily occupied territories as not ours. And that is why I believe we have the right to raise this issue and restore the speed – so that there are no restrictions at all."
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