Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced Saturday that Starlink and Starshield satellite system speeds have been fully restored, following over a week of disruptions that officials said hindered military operations. The ministry stated that its monitoring systems have confirmed the stable performance of the satellite connections, with speeds exceeding 400 km/h.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously appealed to U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, to help resolve the issue with the system operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Following discussions with U.S. authorities, Zelenskyy indicated that the early warning system had resumed, though it took time for speeds to return to previous levels.
"This is another example of how direct dialogue and the firm position of the President of Ukraine at the highest level can deliver results. And this result is especially important for the front line, for our troops, drone operations, logistics and communications," Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said in a statement Saturday.
Officials had expressed concern that the imposed speed limits on Starshield and Starlink-supported networks endangered Ukrainian forces by affecting the flight capabilities of their military's offensive and defensive assets in Russian-controlled territory. These disruptions occurred as Russia has intensified attacks against Ukraine, including a recent deadly strike on an apartment building in Zaporizhzhia that killed 20 people.
The Trump administration denied ordering any slowdown, with officials attributing the change to SpaceX. President Trump told reporters on October 16 that he had not issued such an order and believed the infrastructure was functional.
Elon Musk previously stated via X that Starshield systems are controlled by the U.S. government and that any speed or usage limits are determined by the U.S. military and the President. He clarified that Starlink is a commercial service owned by SpaceX, intended for civilian or defensive use and not for offensive military action.
Trump stated Friday that he had not spoken with Musk about the matter but would do so if the disruption persisted. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has requested that the Pentagon's inspector general investigate the Starlink disruptions.