Ukraine Reports Starlink Speeds Restored After 10-Day Throttle

Ukraine's government says its military regained stable satellite connections on Oct. 24, ten days after speeds on Starlink terminals were sharply curtailed. The restored performance allows the armed forces to resume full use of the satellite communications system for frontline logistics and for countering jet-powered Shahed drones.

The Starlink terminals are manufactured by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, but are managed by the US government. When speeds were capped at 160km/h (99mph), Ukrainian officials reported that several combat missions failed. Interceptions of Russian attack drones were hampered, some operations behind enemy lines were scrapped, and Russia was able to fire ballistic missiles at Ukraine without advance warning from the US.

The restrictions coincided with President Donald Trump's announcement of an American deal to buy Russian diesel. Trump initially denied his administration was behind the cut to intelligence sharing. "I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," Trump said, referring to Musk, who is SpaceX's chief executive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to point suspicion at Musk when he defended Trump. "The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk," Rubio said, adding that the president does not run the company and cannot direct it to do anything.

Musk, writing on X, placed responsibility on the administration. The systems were "owned and controlled by the US government," he said, and any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately by the president. Vice President JD Vance backed Musk, saying the billionaire does not want to get between two state actors without the US government effectively directing him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed both sides. "It was a message from [the] American government to limit the speed," he said, "and technically, SpaceX did it." He noted that Starshield terminals in European Union countries faced no similar restrictions, which applied only to Ukraine, and called it "a planned operation," warning it would bring human losses.

Zelenskyy announced the restoration of the system in a video address on Telegram on Oct. 24, thanking US allies, including Trump and the State Department, for resolving the problem. He said Starlink and Starshield had resumed operating at pre-restriction speeds, which he said are now at the level Ukraine needs. The restoration began overnight, and by morning speeds were sufficient for operational use, he said, which matters for frontline logistics and for defending against jet-powered Shahed drones.

Questions remain about who ordered the slowdown and whether any political bargain underpinned it. The restrictions were lifted after days of conflicting statements from Washington. Trump claimed on Oct. 22 that service was back at full speed, but a European official speaking to the Associated Press denied that it was fully functioning. Asked on Oct. 23 whether he would tell Musk to stop "messing around" with Ukraine's access, Trump said he had not spoken to him but might have to. "If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out," he said, before calling Musk "very brilliant" and "very good." It was not immediately clear what, if anything, changed to trigger the reversal or whether any conditions were attached to restoring full speeds.

Ukrainian officials have not detailed whether any missions were lost during the period of reduced speeds beyond those already reported. The government has not said whether any safeguards would prevent a repeat of the throttle. The episode drew public finger-pointing among American officials and Ukrainian leaders over who controls the satellite links that Ukraine's military depends on.

Starlink and Starshield equipment is built by SpaceX. The US government manages the terminals for military use, and any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president, Musk said. The US government has not commented on the restoration or on any conditions attached to it. European Union member states did not report similar restrictions on Starlink speeds, Ukrainian officials said.