Ukrainian troops learned about the new Starshield restrictions only after complaining to SpaceX customer support, while SpaceX had given them no advance warning, NBC News reported.
The panic quickly moved up the chain. Axios reported that Ukrainian officials also contacted the White House, CIA and Pentagon, trying to find out who had imposed the restrictions and how to get them lifted. A senior US official denied that the Trump administration ordered them.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Ukrainian units were left scrambling to determine whether the limits were technical or political as drone operations were disrupted.
💬 “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reminded Ukraine in a post on X.
Looks like customer support can’t help the US’s biggest client. What a pity.
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