Starlink speeds return to normal: Ukraine confirms military link stability

Ukrainian authorities announced on Saturday that their military has regained a stable connection to the Starlink satellite network, ending a ten-day period of sudden speed limits. The government confirmed the restoration in a statement, noting that the system is now functioning at the levels required for active operations.

The outage began abruptly when terminals used by the Ukrainian military were capped at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. This restriction, implemented by SpaceX hardware managed by the US government, caused several combat missions to fail earlier this month. The limits prevented the interception of Russian attack drones and forced the cancellation of strikes on targets behind enemy lines. Russian ballistic missile launches also proceeded without advance warning from the US.

The timing of the restriction coincided with President Donald Trump’s announcement of a US deal to purchase Russian diesel. Trump initially denied his administration’s involvement, stating, "I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon." Secretary of State Marco Rubio later directed suspicion toward Elon Musk, noting that the president does not run the company and cannot direct its decisions.

Musk pushed back on the administration, writing on X that the systems are "owned and controlled by the US government." He stated that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Vice President JD Vance supported Musk on Thursday, saying the billionaire does not wish to intervene in a conflict between state actors without direct government instruction.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy placed the blame on both parties. "It was a message from [the] American government to limit the speed," he said, adding that "technically, SpaceX did it." Zelenskyy pointed out that Starshield terminals in EU countries faced no similar restrictions. He described the event as a "planned operation" and warned that the decision would result in human losses.

The situation became clearer on Saturday when Zelenskyy appeared in a video address on Telegram to announce the system’s restoration. He thanked US allies, including the State Department and Trump, for resolving the issue. Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield resumed pre-restriction speeds overnight, providing sufficient bandwidth for frontline logistics and defense against jet-powered Shahed drones by morning.

Earlier in the week, the status of the network was uncertain. Trump claimed on Thursday that the service was back at full speed, but a European official told the Associated Press that it was not fully functioning. When asked on Friday if he would tell Musk to stop "messing around," Trump said he had not spoken to the SpaceX chief but might have to. "If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out," Trump said, calling Musk "very brilliant" and "very good".