Restrictions expose Ukraine's Starlink dependency in Russia war

After being struck two nights in a row by ballistic missiles before air sirens could sound, Kyiv says it wasn't warned by Western allies. And it also points to a slowdown in the SpaceX-owned Starshield communication system, which Ukraine heavily relies on for communications on the battlefield. People will die, of course, if attacks will continue. And if Starlink will not work, of course, I mean, it's not helpful. Ukraine's former defense minister also posted on X, suggesting Starshield remove its speed limit for Ukraine's defense. In response, Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, claimed the U.S. government is behind any disruptions and not his company. Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately POTUS. Starshield delivers high-speed internet to remote or conflict zones via satellites just 550 kilometres above the ground, bypassing local infrastructure to resist state surveillance, interception and internet shutdowns. Starshield used by militaries and Starlink used by civilians have become a vital strategic lifeline for Ukraine, allowing troops to stay connected and coordinate operations on the ground though experts warn of the dangers of over-reliance. They might have to think very carefully about the terms under which they acquire it what is the potential control that the company or the United States has on the technology and whether or not they need to develop some sort of indigenous capability themselves. The slowdown comes almost one week after Donald Trump struck a deal with Vladimir Putin to source diesel from Russia pushing Vladimir Zelensky to warn that Trump is drifting toward the wrong side of history, as the Financial Times reports that Ukraine plans to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries.