Zelenskyy says he has 'evidence' Starlink was deliberately slowed in a 'planned operation'
Tensions are only increasing between Ukraine and the United States following accusations of interference last week, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now claiming that he has evidence of a 'planned operation' to disrupt Starlink services.
While relations between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump have been strained for a while now, there were major disagreements in recent weeks over continued strikes from Ukraine onto Russia, especially amid a prospective deal that would see Putin's government export diesel to America.
Ukraine seemingly refused to cease strikes, however, hitting a key oil refinery in the process, and it is deemed that the US government disabled Starlink and Starshield services provided by Elon Musk's company in retalliation.
While the Trump administration and Musk himself both appear to be unwilling to outwardly admit this, Zelenskyy has now come out with what he deems to be 'evidence' of deliberate disruption, calling the removal of Starlink in Ukraine a 'planned operation' by the US parties.
Zelenskyy presents evidence of a 'planned operation'
As reported by The Times, Zelenskyy has claimed that the Starlink issues beginning last week continued throughout the weekend, yet those issues were entirely localized within Ukraine, with other neighboring European nations unaffected.
Advert
He informed reporters that these issues were primarily related to the speed at which drones are capable of flying, with Starlink terminals providing support of up to 180km/h outside of Ukraine, but connections cut out when drones exceeded 160km/h inside of his country.
"We have the relevant logs and evidence to prove this," Zelenskyy proclaimed when addressing speculation of interference. "The conclusion is clear: the restrictions are in effect within Ukraine but do not apply within the European Union. In other words, this is a planned operation."
Zelenskyy had previously issued a plea calling on Musk to restore service in Ukraine, with the removal of the SpaceX-based infrastructure likely to 'cost lives' as a result, but little progress appears to have been made towards a resolution.
How has Elon Musk responded to the incident?
While reports from The Telegraph have indicated that Musk was indeed the one to encourage Trump and the US government to implement speed limits for Starlink within Ukraine, the world's richest man has attempted to distance himself from the decision making process in recent social media statements.
Posting to X, Musk declared that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," adding that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and [President of the United States]," but reports have suggested that Musk's rekindled relationship with President Trump has given him influence on this matter.
Speaking to The Telegraph, one source close to the matter revealed that Musk "tweeted out that he was innocent and that it was the US administration that did it. The reality is that they were both in it," with the SpaceX founder fearing that this could impact consumer reaction within Europe now.
It does appear to be part of the US government's wider shift away from support for Ukraine, with Trump offering some unsavory words towards Zelenskyy and reportedly organizing a meeting with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to discuss a deal that would favor Russia, as per Reuters.