SpaceX denies new Starshield restrictions for Ukrainian troops

SpaceX has refuted the introduction of new restrictions on Starshield satellite communications for the Ukrainian armed forces. "This is not true. Nothing has changed," a company representative is quoted as saying by Axios, which was the first to report the denial.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced significant disruptions in the operation of the Starshield system. According to him, the satellite communication speed for the Ukrainian military fell sharply — to 161 megabits per second. The head of the Ukrainian state interpreted what was happening as evidence of a change in Washington's approach to supporting Kyiv.

Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Zelensky also reported restrictions in the operation of the Starlink service over territories that Ukraine lost in the course of hostilities. Starshield is the military version of the Starlink satellite system and is operated primarily under contracts with the US government. SpaceX has so far not provided additional technical comment on the substance of the Ukrainian side's claims.