Starlink curbs on Ukrainian troops draw Polish war...

Summary

• Starlink terminals used by Ukrainian troops lost speed overnight without warning, derailing missions and drawing a rebuke of Elon Musk from Poland.
• Ordinary terminals fitted to drones work at up to 160 km/h, but some missions need more speed, so drone teams use the military package.
• Logistics, drone units and medium-range strike missions all felt the impact, a source in the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

AI Generated Summary

Starlink terminals used by Ukrainian troops lost speed overnight without warning, derailing missions and drawing a rebuke of Elon Musk from Poland.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, who advises President Volodymyr Zelensky on military technology, said SpaceX imposed the limits on Tuesday night. Terminals travelling faster than 160 km/h lost their connection, he explained.

“Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions,” Beskrestnov said. As a result, he added, several missions failed.

Beskrestnov, whose military blog has a large following, saw no accident in the timing. He tied the move to “the current political situation.”

Why Starlink matters at the front

Ukrainian troops depend on the satellite network for internet access in combat zones. Above all, it allows them to guide drones towards Russian targets.