US officials, Musk give conflicting accounts of who controls restrictions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said unexplained limits on the Starlink and Starshield satellite services continue to affect Ukrainian forces, according to a BBC News report published Oct. 23. The report examined who actually controls Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a question on which US officials and Elon Musk offer conflicting accounts.
Ukraine uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield service, depending on what communications are needed, the report said.
The networks use 10,000 satellites to provide connectivity, particularly in remote areas and on the battlefield, BBC News reported. Starshield allows Ukrainian drone operators to see targets in real time, as well as operate interceptor drones.
BBC Washington correspondent Daniel Bush examined what officials have said about the technology in the report. According to BBC News, US officials and Elon Musk offer conflicting accounts of who controls the restrictions.