KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s military is still seeing problems with SpaceX’s satellite network, defence ministry sources said Friday, a day after President Donald Trump said Elon Musk had lifted limits on the service, BBC News and Al Jazeera reported.
The sources told the BBC that drones travelling faster than 161 km/h (100 mph) were still losing connection, hampering operations, and that there was “currently no confirmation that these restrictions have been lifted.” Asked Thursday whether he had called Musk, Trump said: “Bottom line, he put it back.”
Kyiv first reported on Oct. 13 that uplink speeds had been restricted. Musk has said he was not behind the slowdown and suggested the Pentagon could be, since the military-grade Starshield service is controlled by the U.S. military; the White House has repeatedly denied deliberately limiting the network.
On Friday President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would “use more of Finland’s satellite capabilities,” naming Nokia and ICEYE, after the Finnish firms signed a letter of intent with Ukraine’s defence ministry during Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s visit to Kyiv, Al Jazeera reported, citing DPA.
The dispute has unfolded amid a row between Trump and Zelenskyy over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, as Trump has waived some Russia sanctions ahead of next month’s U.S. midterm elections.
Sources: BBC News, Al Jazeera
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