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Musk says US government may be behind slowdown of Ukraine drone speeds
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Elon Musk suggested the US government may be responsible for imposing speed restrictions on Ukraine's weapons connected to his Starlink internet network, which disrupted battlefield operations.
- Starlink, owned by Musk's SpaceX, restricted speeds to 100 mph on Tuesday night, causing weapons traveling faster to lose connectivity; this limit was partially lifted by Wednesday evening.
- Musk clarified that Starshield, the military-grade counterpart to Starlink, is controlled by the US government, and any usage limits are decided by the US military and president.
- Ukrainian officials, including President Zelensky and former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, expressed concern over the restrictions, linking them to strained US-Ukraine relations and urging their removal for defense purposes.
- The speed restrictions coincided with deadly Russian attacks on Ukraine targeting military and civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the conflict and fueling political tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
