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Ukraine said Starlink and Starshield services had returned to the speeds required for military operations after restrictions lasting more than a week disrupted them, AnewZ reported. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk alleged that Kyiv’s forces had used the satellite system for prohibited drone strikes.
Musk wrote on the X platform: “The Ukrainian military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using attack drones to kill people. This loophole was closed last week.”
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, said Kyiv had “physically had no ability” to use Starlink in operations involving long- and medium-range attack drones. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense did not immediately comment on Musk’s claim.
Ukraine says service speeds have been restored
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Saturday, October 24, that Starlink and Starshield were operating at the speeds required by Ukraine’s military: “The main issue today is that Starlink and Starshield have returned to operating at the speeds they had before the restrictions. The speed is now at the level we need.”
According to Zelenskyy, speeds began returning to normal overnight. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said the connection remained stable at speeds above 400 kilometers per hour.
Ukrainian officials said Starshield’s operation had been limited to 160 kilometers per hour, hindering efforts to counter Russian attack drones and leading to the cancellation of some military operations.
Starlink remains important for communications along the front line, AnewZ reported. Medium-range attack drones controlled through Starshield have also helped Ukrainian forces in several sectors of the battlefield.
Beskrestnov said Ukraine had not relied on Starlink for long-range drone operations inside Russia, including attacks on oil refineries. He said those drones had not traveled faster than 70–90 kilometers per hour.
Dispute over responsibility for restrictions
The restrictions caused discontent in Ukraine. They coincided with interruptions in allies’ warnings about approaching Russian missile attacks. Kyiv later said it continued to receive U.S. intelligence.
Musk and U.S. officials have made public statements suggesting that the other side may have been responsible for the decision to restrict satellite services. According to Reuters, the order to limit Starshield’s operation came from within the White House. Sources also said previous U.S. administrations had asked SpaceX to activate or deactivate Starlink services in various countries.
The restrictions came amid broader tensions over U.S. policy on the war. AnewZ reported that the episode followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to buy Russian diesel fuel, at a time when he was urging Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.
On Friday, Trump said he would “sort out” the matter if problems with satellite services continued. The remark contradicted his earlier statement that operations had been fully restored.
The latest statements leave questions open about how the restrictions were imposed and the dispute among Kyiv, SpaceX and Washington.
