Starlink, Starshield restored in Ukraine after week-long restrictions

Kyiv confirmed on Saturday that SpaceX’s satellite internet system Starlink and its military variant Starshield have returned to full operational capacity. This restoration follows more than a week of service restrictions that hampered Ukrainian military operations and heightened friction with Washington.

Despite the confirmation, Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX—the company owning Starlink—accused the Ukrainian armed forces of violating corporate terms shortly after the announcement. Neither Musk nor the US government, which operates Starshield using Starlink technology, accepted responsibility for imposing the initial limitations.

Musk cites drone violation claims

In a post on X, Musk stated that the Ukrainian army breached Starlink’s terms of service by utilizing the network to launch offensive drones intended to kill people. He noted that this specific loophole was closed during the previous week.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, responded via Telegram, asserting that the country is physically unable to employ Starlink for medium- and long-range offensive drone missions. The dispute over connectivity issues emerged after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to purchase Russian diesel while simultaneously pressuring Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Speed limits impacted battlefield tactics

Ukrainian officials reported that the imposed restrictions capped operational speeds at approximately 160 kilometers per hour. These limits degraded the army’s ability to intercept incoming Russian attack drones and led to the cancellation of several planned operations.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that the critical development was the return of Starlink and Starshield to pre-restriction velocity levels. He emphasized that current speeds meet the requirements necessary for effective defense.

Zelenskyy indicated that speeds began normalizing overnight. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense verified on Saturday that connectivity remained stable at rates exceeding 400 kilometers per hour.

Strategic reliance on satellite networks

Ukraine does not rely on these systems for executing long-range drone attacks inside Russian territory, including strikes on oil infrastructure. According to Beskrestnov, such operations function at speeds not surpassing 70 to 90 kilometers per hour.

However, Starlink remains indispensable for frontline communications. The deployment of medium-range offensive drones operating through the Starshield system has contributed to strengthening Ukrainian advantages in multiple combat zones throughout the year.

The implementation of these constraints provoked anger within Ukraine, particularly as it coincided with disruptions in receiving allied warnings regarding Russian missile attacks. Kyiv later clarified that it continues to receive intelligence data from the United States.

Attribution disputes and White House role

Neither Musk nor the US administration acknowledged liability for throttling Starlink or Starshield services in Ukraine. Both parties maintained that any decision of this nature could only be enacted by the other side.

Reuters reported that the order restricting Starshield service originated from within the White House. Earlier sources indicated that various US agencies had requested SpaceX to activate or deactivate Starlink services in different countries on multiple occasions.

On Friday, Trump contradicted his earlier statement that services had fully resumed. He said he would work to resolve the problems if they persisted.