KYIV — Ukraine said on Saturday that the Starlink satellite system and its military version Starshield were again operating at high speeds after over a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations and intensified tensions with the US, reports BritPanorama.
Problems with Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned systems arose after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel while pressing Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries.
Ukrainian officials indicated that the restrictions hampered the military’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones and led to the cancellation of some operations.
“Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence monitoring systems are officially recording the restoration of Starlink/Starshield operating speeds,” the ministry stated on the Telegram app.
“Connectivity remains stable at speeds exceeding 400 km per hour,” it added.
The Ukrainian military does not disclose the systems’ maximum operating speeds, and the defence ministry did not specify whether service had been fully restored. When limitations were enforced, Ukraine encountered difficulties operating at speeds over 160 kph.
While Ukraine does not rely on the systems for long-range drone operations on Russian territory, Starlink is essential for frontline communications, and Starshield is utilized for military operations in occupied territories.
Limitations order
The restrictions ignited outrage in Ukraine, particularly as they coincided with disruptions to allied warnings about incoming Russian missile attacks. Kyiv later asserted it continued to receive US intelligence.
Neither Musk nor the U.S. government has acknowledged responsibility for the restrictions imposed on Starlink or Starshield in Ukraine. Both parties have publicly stated that any such decision could only have been made by the other.
Reuters has reported that the order to throttle Starshield reportedly originated from within the White House. Past U.S. administrations had previously requested SpaceX to turn Starlink on or off in various countries, sources noted.
Trump stated on Friday that if problems persisted, he would “get it straightened out.”
