Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that Starshield satellite connectivity for its forces while in motion has been restored and remains operational, after sudden restrictions earlier in the week disrupted drone missions along the front line.
A ministry source told Recorded Future News that the military could again use the service on the move, citing reports from military units. The source spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The disruption began overnight Tuesday without warning, when new limits on how fast a terminal could move and still hold a connection forced troops to cancel combat missions and complicated drone operations, logistics and reconnaissance, Recorded Future News reported. By Wednesday, connections had improved at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (about 100 mph), though the formal speed limit remained in place, the ministry said.
Sources in Kyiv told the Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda that the military version of the Starlink system is operational again and continues to improve, LaPresse reported. NPR’s Morning Edition also reported that Ukraine says its Starshield access is back.
The episode unfolded amid a spat between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and coincided with one of Russia’s heaviest drone assaults — Ukraine said 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones were fired in a single barrage earlier this week.
Who ordered the restriction remains unclear. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that any limits on speed or usage are dictated by the Pentagon and ultimately the president. A senior U.S. official told the New York Post that Trump made no request to limit Ukraine’s Starshield access, while another source said Musk may have been inaccurate in suggesting the Trump administration was behind the shutdown.
Denys Sienik, a diplomat at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, told the Post: “Starshield speeds have been improved, at the moment. We hope all will be resumed to the previous level.”
Starshield, a secure military offshoot of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system, is shared with Ukraine by the Pentagon and used to guide interceptor drones and long-range strikes. The ministry said it continues to work with SpaceX and partners to clarify the causes of the disruption.
Sources: Recorded Future News; NPR/Morning Edition; New York Post.
