Ukraine confirms stable Starlink speeds after ten-day operational halt

Ukraine’s government declared its military satellite connections stable on Saturday, ending a ten-day period of severe speed restrictions on the Starlink network. The abrupt throttling of data speeds had disrupted critical combat operations, forcing the cancellation of missions to strike targets behind enemy lines and impeding the interception of Russian attack drones. The network, manufactured by SpaceX and managed by the US government, is integral to Ukrainian frontline logistics and air defense.

The restrictions capped terminal speeds at 160km/h, a limit that officials said compromised the ability to track and neutralize fast-moving threats. During the outage, Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine without prior intelligence warnings from Washington. The timing of the slowdown coincided with Donald Trump’s announcement of a US agreement to purchase Russian diesel, a fact that fueled speculation about the decision's origins.

US officials quickly distanced themselves from the action. President Trump stated he did not believe he or Elon Musk were responsible for the cuts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this view, asserting that the president does not direct the operations of Starlink or Starshield. Conversely, Musk argued that the US government, specifically the military and the president, owned and controlled the systems, meaning any usage limits were dictated by Washington rather than his company.

Vice-President JD Vance supported Musk’s position, noting that the billionaire did not wish to be drawn into the conflict without explicit government direction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy placed the blame on both parties, describing the incident as a planned operation that would result in human losses. He highlighted that Starshield terminals in European Union countries remained unrestricted, indicating the measures targeted Ukraine specifically.

The dispute reached a public peak earlier in the week when Trump claimed the service had been restored to full speed, a statement disputed by a European official. Trump suggested he might need to instruct Musk to stop interfering with Ukraine’s access, though he praised the SpaceX chief as brilliant. The ambiguity persisted until Zelenskyy addressed the nation via video on Telegram on Saturday.

In the address, Zelenskyy confirmed that Starlink and Starshield had resumed operating at their pre-restriction speeds overnight. He stated that by morning, connection speeds were sufficient for operational use, including the defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. The Ukrainian leader thanked US allies, including the State Department, for resolving the technical and diplomatic standoff.