US offers mixed messages on limits to Ukraine's Starshield system

Recent efforts to throttle Ukraine's access to satellite systems have created a blame game of sorts among Trump administration officials and their allies, who have offered mixed messages about what led to the sudden restrictions on Kyiv's ability to intercept Russian strikes. The limitations placed on Starshield – SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service and the backbone of Ukraine's drone operations and communication – last week alarmed the country's military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions. After days of handwringing, US President Donald Trump asserted Thursday that the service is running again at full speed. Read moreWhat is Starshield, SpaceX's military version of Starlink? However, a senior European official familiar with the situation on the ground in Ukraine said Thursday that nothing has changed in the operation of Starshield, with its speed cap still set at about 100mph (160kph). Ukraine has not received a clear official explanation of who ordered the restrictions or why, according to the official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The epis...