There is currently no talk of replacing Starlink satellite communications with alternatives for use in the Ukrainian army. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this at a briefing in Brussels.
Ukraine is working with some countries, including France, to obtain additional capabilities. The President did not go into details.
The President explained that the Defence Forces do not use Starlink to attack Russia. When the United States reduced the speed for Ukraine, the military lost the ability to shoot down a certain number of Shaheds.
“That is why it was a very unpleasant surprise regarding the ‘Starlinks’. We use it to intercept jet-powered Shaheds that come and strike our civilians, killing families. We use special interceptors that move at very high speed. Interceptor drones that operate specifically via Starlink,” he said.
According to him, the speed dropped to 70 km/h. The Defence Forces also use Starlink for mid-strike operations against military targets in the occupied territory. After the reduction, some operations were disrupted.
“Has the speed that was there been fully restored? No. Is the speed being restored? Yes,” he said.
He also commented on Ukraine receiving intelligence, including on the Russians’ preparations for ballistic attacks. The Ukrainian side receives intelligence from dozens of countries.
“This is very substantial, serious assistance. As for ballistic missiles, specifically ballistic launches, we receive this information from the United States. Here, you see, there are many challenges associated with ballistic missiles,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that Ukraine is working on every possibility to ensure it is as independent as possible.
Context
The military reported on the morning of 14 October that operations had stopped at a speed of 160 km/h. This disrupted some planned missions and created difficulties in repelling Russian drone attacks. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the decision on restrictions is made by the US government.
“Starshield systems belong to and are controlled by the US government. Any speed or usage restrictions are determined by the US military and, ultimately, the US President. Starlink is a commercial service owned by SpaceX and controlled by it. The use of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military actions, as that would be unacceptable for a commercial company,” he said.