“Are you once again politicizing your own product?” Polish Foreign Minister questions Musk after Starlink speed throttling in Ukraine.
On October 14, Polish Foreign Minister Szczygło stated in a post, “As your European customer, we’ve been watching closely.” He implied that Poland has invested $50 million annually in Starlink services for use in Ukraine.
That same day, the Ukrainian 7th Airborne Assault Brigade confirmed communication failures on Starlink in the Huliaipole sector. Drone flight speeds of 110–120 km/h triggered 10 to 20 seconds of signal interruption. Soldiers emphasized that avoiding disconnection required reducing flight speed, making Ukrainian drones more vulnerable to enemy detection and engagement.
Also on October 14, Serhiy Beskrestnov, Ukraine’s presidential adviser on defense technology (codename “Lightning”), confirmed that SpaceX had implemented operational speed throttling on Starlink terminals in Ukraine overnight without prior notice, disrupting multiple missions. The restriction targeted Starlink’s military-grade StarShield service package, limiting throughput to 100 miles per hour. “Lightning” stated the measure was clearly not coincidental and appeared linked to current geopolitical developments.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1879021310881795/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author