The Starlink crisis in Ukraine... Zelensky feels let down, but Musk responds

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his feeling of disappointment due to the disruption of the Starlink satellite Internet service, at a time when American billionaire Elon Musk held the US government responsible for the restrictions imposed on the use of the service in Ukraine.

Zelensky said that his country feels let down by the disruption of Starlink, stressing that disrupting Starlink is a grave mistake that will lead to major losses, without the available statements including additional details regarding the scope or duration of the disruption.

On the other hand, Musk commented on the reduction in the speed of the “Starlink” service in Ukraine, saying that the US government is the party that places restrictions on its use.

The Starlink network, affiliated with Musk's SpaceX company, is of particular importance in Ukraine, given its reliance on satellites to provide Internet connectivity in areas where terrestrial communications networks are damaged.

Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022, the service has become one of the means of communication used in the country, including in areas affected by military operations.

The network was also used to support civilian and military communications, making any restrictions on its operation or scope of use a sensitive issue for Kiev.

Zelensky and Musk's statements highlight the dispute over responsibility for restrictions on the service.

While the Ukrainian president expressed his disappointment about disrupting it, Musk stressed that the US government is the one that determines the restrictions related to the use of “Starlink” in Ukraine.

The available statements did not clarify whether the speed reduction included all users in Ukraine or specific regions, nor did they include technical details regarding the nature of the restrictions or the timing of their implementation.

It is also not clear from the statements alone whether the disruption that Zelensky spoke about and the speed reduction that Musk referred to are related to the same procedure.

The nature of the restrictions and the scope of their impact remain in need of additional clarification from the concerned authorities, in light of the importance of satellite communications for Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia.