newsweek.com
Who Controls Starshield? DOD Faces Questions as Musk Points Finger at Trump
After Ukraine said its access to Elon Musk's constellation of satellites orbiting close to the Earth was restricted—hampering its ability to fight Russia—questions swirled about who would be able to put these limits in place and take Kyiv by surprise. Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday the military version of Musk's Starlink satellite communications network, made by Musk's SpaceX firm but overseen by the U.S. government, was restricted on systems operating at speeds above 100 miles per hour. The episode raised a central question: who has the authority to restrict Ukraine's access to Starshield, and under what circumstances?" Read More on World Top officials said the curb quickly wreaked havoc with Ukrainian drone operations and air defenses around the Ukrainian capital amid Russian attacks, including with Moscow's new jet-powered explosive drones. Kyiv was caught off-guard by the sudden changes to the Starshield system, officials said, further fueling concerns about the U.S. support for Ukraine against Russia ahead of what is expected to be another punishing winter for Ukraine's residents. The restrictions attracted particular scrutiny because they came as the U.S. pressures Ukraine to halt its punishing campaign of drone assaults on Russian oil refineries, which have contributed to surging diesel costs...