Starshield Throttle Causes Ukrainian Drone Losses
Ukraine’s satellite internet was throttled, leading to drone guidance loss, prompting calls for investigation.
Key facts
- Starshield is a satellite internet service used by Ukraine for drone operations.
- The service was abruptly throttled, causing drones to lose guidance.
- Ukraine says it does not know why the throttling occurred.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for an investigation into who ordered the limit.
- Musk said Starshield is operated by the U.S. Department of Defense and that the President has authority to set limits.
Starshield is a satellite internet network used by Ukrainian forces to guide drones during combat operations.
The network was abruptly throttled, which caused Ukrainian drones to lose guidance.
Ukraine reports that it still does not know why the military satellite internet service was throttled, leaving troops vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said there needs to be an investigation of who ordered the limit on Ukraine’s access to the Starshield network and warned of an “enormous risk” if Elon Musk dictates foreign policy.
Musk posted that Starshield is operated by the Department of Defense and that the President ultimately decides whether to limit data speeds for Ukraine or other users.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said no pullback had occurred and that any limits are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the President, citing terms of service.
Context
Ukraine uses satellite internet to operate drones against Russian attacks. Starshield is a military-oriented satellite network operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The throttling of the network disrupted drone guidance.
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