Russian Invasion The Fighting

Ukraine: Starlink issues are a “planned operation”

Ukraine has conducted tests proving that the restrictions on the satellite service Starlink are part of a “planned operation” aimed at weakening the country’s defenses. This is according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking to the Financial Times.

Ukraine has tested sending drones into EU territory, where they reached speeds of up to 180 kilometers per hour. Within Ukraine’s own borders, the speeds reached 160 kilometers per hour.

This demonstrates that the issue does not lie with technical problems at SpaceX, he says.

“In other words, it is a planned operation.”

Both Donald Trump and SpaceX owner Elon Musk deny having any involvement in these issues.

Reports: Musk proposed restrictions for Ukraine

According to information obtained by The Telegraph, it was Elon Musk who proposed the idea of ​​imposing restrictions on the Starlink satellite service for Ukraine.

Four sources state that the SpaceX owner presented the proposal for speed limitations to Donald Trump. The American president reportedly favored the idea, after which the Pentagon implemented the restriction.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk stated that any such changes are handled through the Pentagon, which controls the military equivalent of Starlink. As recently as Friday evening (Swedish time), Donald Trump denied having any involvement in the matter. 

ISW: Putin’s figures 45 times higher than reality

Vladimir Putin claims that Russia has captured 6,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since the turn of the year. According to calculations by the think tank ISW, Russia’s net territorial gain during the first nine months of the year amounts to only about 145 square kilometers, reports the independent Russian outlet *The Moscow Times*.

Putin’s estimate is thus approximately 45 times larger than that of the ISW—an organization that, throughout the war (now spanning more than four and a half years), has served as one of the primary sources for assessing the situation in Ukraine.

Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, has also informed Putin that Russia has captured more than 1,800 square kilometers since September 1. However, ISW’s figures indicate that Russia has actually lost 122 square kilometers of territory.

Despite this, Putin asserts that Russian forces are “advancing with confidence” along the entire front line.