Musk slows Starlink internet in Ukraine:Impacts military operations against Russia; SpaceX CEO wants to launch same service in India

US billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has imposed a speed limit on Starlink internet in Ukraine. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Wednesday that the decision had affected several operations by the Ukrainian army fighting against Russia. According to him, the army had not been informed about the change in advance. An official from Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has also confirmed the disruption in connectivity. What is significant is that Musk wants to launch the same Starlink service in India. Recently, he accused the Indian government of discrimination over the issue. Starlink also helps stop Russian drones Starlink provides internet through satellites in space. The Ukrainian army uses it to maintain communication among soldiers and to operate drones from a distance. These drones are used to attack Russian positions. According to adviser Serhii, Starlink is also used to operate drones that try to intercept Russia’s new jet-engine-powered drones in the air. Earlier, Musk had shut down Starlink for the Russian military in February. This made it difficult for Russia to fight in Ukraine and disrupted coordination between its commanders and soldiers. Starlink internet slows at speeds above 160 km/h According to Zelenskyy’s adviser Serhii, Starlink internet is now slowing down when travelling at speeds of more than 160 km/h. He suspected that the decision could be linked to the current political situation. However, he did not provide further details. BBC reported, citing an official in Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, that slow internet speeds are causing problems for the military in missions involving the delivery of supplies, drone operations and attacks. SpaceX has not yet made any public statement on the matter. Russian attacks leave 6 lakh people without electricity According to President Zelenskyy, at least 6 lakh people in Ukraine have been forced to remain without electricity following Russian missile and drone attacks. Russia targeted electricity-related sites in the capital Kyiv and surrounding areas. According to local officials, three people were killed in Kyiv. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 39 missiles and 128 drones overnight. Four missiles and 115 drones were shot down. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that 902 Ukrainian drones were shot down in different parts of Russia overnight. The drones brought down over Moscow and Crimea were also among them. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Attacks continue despite Trump’s ceasefire claim US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy facilities. The halt was supposed to take effect immediately, but the attacks continued. Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine would stop attacking Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Russia did the same. Zelensky accused the Trump administration of threatening to stop providing intelligence to Ukraine if an agreement on a ceasefire was not reached. Trump denied the allegation on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine was not entitled to relief from a ceasefire. He expressed concern that European countries could use the pause to provide Ukraine with more weapons. Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022. At present, Russia occupies around 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Musk also wants to launch Starlink in India The report that Starlink’s speed in Ukraine has been reduced comes at a time when Musk also wants to launch the same internet service in India. Starlink’s special feature is that it provides internet through satellites in space rather than through internet cables laid on the ground or mobile towers. This can bring internet access to villages, mountainous areas and remote locations where mobile networks or broadband services are unavailable. Musk has said that Starlink will introduce affordable plans in India. He says the arrival of the new company will intensify competition among internet companies, benefiting customers. In India, Starlink will compete with companies such as Reliance Jio and Airtel. These companies are already providing internet services at low prices. Therefore, Starlink’s success in India will also depend on the price at which it offers internet services to customers. Approvals still required to start service in India The Indian government has granted licences for satellite internet services to Jio Satcom, Airtel’s subsidiary Eutelsat OneWeb and Starlink. However, the service cannot be launched with a licence alone. Security-related approvals and the pricing of the radio frequency used to provide internet via satellite will also need to be finalised. Starlink’s success in India will depend on how affordable its plans are, how well the network performs and when the company receives all the necessary approvals. Starlink devices found in Andaman and Manipur In 2024, Indian agencies found Starlink devices during a drug-trafficking investigation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and during an army operation in Manipur. At the time, Musk said that Starlink’s service had never been activated in India. He claimed that the devices found could not use Starlink’s satellite network. Starlink equipment includes a dish, a Wi-Fi router, a power cable and a stand for mounting the dish. The dish is placed in a location with a clear view of the sky to access the internet. The company’s mobile app helps set it up and monitor the network status. Starlink Faces Questions After Speed Restrictions in Ukraine Restrictions on Starlink’s speed in Ukraine have raised questions about how much a private company’s technical decisions can affect military operations when the armed forces depend on its internet service. In India, Starlink could primarily be used to provide connectivity to areas lacking internet access. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine does not mean that a similar situation will arise in India. But it does show that as dependence on the technology of satellite internet providers grows, the importance of their decisions also increases.