Ukraine Restores Starlink and Starshield Speeds After SpaceX Throttling Dispute
Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite internet links has returned to the speeds it had before restrictions, according to a statement released on Saturday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, following more than a week of restrictions that disrupted frontline logistics and defense operations against Russian forces. Zelenskiy stated on X that connection speeds on the SpaceX-operated network are now where they need to be, noting that restoration began on Friday night and were sufficient by Saturday morning.
SpaceX Confirms Throttling Over Offensive Drone Strikes
Elon Musk acknowledged on Saturday that his company, SpaceX, throttled the Starlink satellite internet service last week. In a post on X, Musk stated that the civilian commercial network was never allowed, nor should it be, used for offensive drone strikes to kill people, asserting that the Ukrainian military violated terms of service. Musk maintained that the U.S. government controls whatever changes happened with Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that is the backbone of Ukraine’s communication and drone operations, while defending SpaceX’s role in bolstering Ukrainian defenses since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated… https://t.co/ZXBB8bYfPn
The speed limitations capped connections at 160 kilometers per hour (roughly 100 miles per hour), which Ukrainian officials reported caused reconnaissance and attack drones to lose connectivity and fail during missions. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Yevhenii Khmara confirmed on Saturday that monitoring systems are now recording stable speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour, praising the direct dialogue and Zelenskiy’s diplomacy with Washington that led to the resolution.
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Starlink/Starshield terminals are working on fast-moving platforms again. The Ministry of Defence’s monitoring systems confirm stable connectivity at speeds above 400 km/h, following restrictions recorded earlier.Minister of Defence Evgeniy Khmara: “This result is important,… pic.twitter.com/mRW7lCTKrT”
The most important thing today is that Starlink and Starshield operations have been restored to the speeds we had before the restrictions. The speeds are now where they need to be. The restoration began overnight, and by this morning, speeds were already sufficient. This matters:… pic.twitter.com/qxBtluSD3G
The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there. The speed has not been restored. And the delivery of interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed. We’re waiting for interceptors that were already agreed on. But they are still not… pic.twitter.com/LeP1kBkpYw