Ukraine said Starlink and its military version, Starshield, had returned to normal operating parameters after more than a week of restrictions that disrupted battlefield operations.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Oct. 24 that the systems had recovered to the levels required by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported stable connections on equipment moving at more than 400 kilometers per hour. The figure refers to the speed of the moving terminal, not data-transfer speed.
The previous restriction reportedly cut connectivity when equipment moved at about 160 kilometers per hour. That interfered with drone missions, including efforts to intercept Russian attack drones, as well as frontline logistics and communications, according to Reuters.
SpaceX owner Elon Musk then accused Ukraine’s military of violating Starlink’s terms by using the civilian commercial service for offensive drone strikes. Musk said that use had never been authorized and that SpaceX closed the loophole last week.
Musk drew a distinction between commercial Starlink and Starshield, saying decisions governing the military-grade service were made by the U.S. government. He also said Ukraine’s front would collapse without Starlink, describing that statement as an assessment rather than a threat.
Responsibility for the restrictions remains disputed. Reuters reported that the order affecting Starshield originated in the White House. Musk and U.S. officials had previously pointed to one another, and the administration had not publicly accepted responsibility.
The Associated Press reported that Musk acknowledged SpaceX had restricted the commercial Starlink service, while maintaining that Washington controlled any changes to Starshield.
The dispute has renewed questions about who controls access to satellite communications on which military operations depend. Reuters has reported that both the Biden and Trump administrations asked SpaceX to activate or restrict Starlink in different countries in support of U.S. foreign-policy objectives.
The original Russian-language report is available from Vesti Baku.