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Ukraine says Starlink works fully again after speed limits

Published

Ukraine said on Saturday that Starlink and its military version Starshield were fully working after more than a week of restrictions. Ukrainian officials said the limits hampered the military's ability to stop Russian attack drones.

Ukrainian officials said the restrictions capped Starshield speeds at 160 kph and forced the military to cancel some operations. Ukraine's defence ministry said the connection was stable at over 400 kph on Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds."

Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, later posted on X that Ukraine's military had broken the company's terms. He said: "That loophole was closed last week." Musk also said Starshield is a different system, controlled by the US government.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said Ukraine's long-range drones fly at no more than 70-90 kph. He said Ukraine cannot use Starlink for long- and medium-range attack drone operations.

US senator Thom Tillis said he would seek a Pentagon inspector general probe. Senator Adam Schiff called for a Senate investigation and said Musk should testify under oath.

Key facts

Who
Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine); Donald Trump (President of the United States); Elon Musk (owner of SpaceX); Yuliia Dysa (reporter (byline))
What
Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at pre-restriction speeds after more than a week of speed caps of 160km/h that disrupted military operations and strained ties with the US. Neither Musk nor the US government has acknowledged responsibility for the restrictions.
When
24 October 2026
Where
Ukraine, Russia, United States
Status
Reported

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