Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1694: Starlink cap cripples Ukrainian drone missions as Musk says Trump, not SpaceX, ordered the cut
Elsewhere, Russia bombed a Sloviansk warming center, wounding four Red Cross workers.
On the 1694th day of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Starlink's cap has significantly impeded Ukrainian drone operations, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Musk claims that it was former US President Donald Trump, not SpaceX, who ordered the cap to be placed on Starlink, which limits the drone's flight speed to 160 km/h. This slow speed renders some missions ineffective, leading to a need for a military StarShield version that allows for faster flight.
Ukrainian defense forces have been heavily reliant on Starlink, with the country's 3rd Army Corps having recently repelled Russian advances towards its fortress cities in Donbas. Despite Ukraine halting drone attacks on Russian oil refineries following Trump's request, the Starlink cap has still caused issues for their drone missions. NATO member Poland has also expressed concern over the Starlink cap, questioning Musk's intentions.
Ukraine had halted attacks on Russian oil refineries following Trump's request, but the imposed Starlink limit persisted, causing frustration among NATO allies. According to a Ukrainian OSINT channel, Russia recently converted a barren field into a Geran-5 launch site, showcasing their rapid deployment capabilities. Ukraine has managed to withstand attacks, with armored vehicles surviving drone strikes and friendly drones escorting them to the battlefield.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
