Stories
Zelenskyy Urges Musk To Restore Starlink And Warns Of Lost Lives
- •Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restore full Starlink services to Ukraine.
- •Zelenskyy warned that restrictions on the satellite internet system could cost lives as Russian attacks continue.
- •Elon Musk responded by stating that restrictions on usage and speed were decided by the United States government and military.
- •In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy called the disruption a big mistake and appealed for the service to be reinstated.
Key Questions Answered
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restore Starlink services, warning that restrictions on the satellite system could cost human lives as Russian attacks continue. He called the disruption a "big mistake" during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan and appealed for the service to be switched back on.
Elon Musk stated that any restrictions on usage and speed were decided by the US government and military. He distinguished between the Starshield system, which is owned and controlled by the US government, and the civilian Starlink system, noting that Starlink usage is limited to civilian or defensive activities rather than offensive military action.
The restrictions affected satellite internet connections used to guide long-range Ukrainian drones in Russian-occupied areas, disrupting several military drone missions and forcing forces to cancel operations. Former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov later reported that Starlink connectivity at speeds up to 160 km/h was being restored.
