Ukraine says military Starlink link is 'stable' again after over a week of restrictions

Ukraine's defence minister said on Saturday that the Starlink and Starshield satellite connection used by the country's military is stable again.

"The ministry of defence's monitoring systems are recording a return to normal speed for Starlink/Starshield. We are recording a speed of over 400 kph. The connection is stable," the minister told reporters, according to France 24. France 24 named him as Evhenii Khmara. Reuters also reported the statement.

The defence ministry said in a statement: "Monitoring systems had previously recorded disruptions to the Starlink/Starshield service. The speed metrics have now returned to normal," France 24 reported.

The restoration has not been independently confirmed. France 24 reported that the defence ministry did not say whether service had been fully restored. The Ukrainian military does not disclose the systems' maximum operating speeds.

According to Reuters and France 24, the services were restricted for more than a week. The restrictions slowed connections and disrupted military operations. France 24 reported that the restrictions were first reported on 14 October. Unnamed sources cited by France 24 said speeds had fallen to about 160 kph or less. The reports do not explain what the "kph" figures measure. This is an unusual unit for connection speed.

According to France 24, the disruptions caused tensions between Kyiv and Washington over the SpaceX-made network. The outlet said the problems began after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and waived new sanctions on Moscow, while pressing Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries. The reports describe a sequence of events. They do not establish a causal link.

France 24's article is credited "FRANCE 24 with Reuters". Both reports appear to trace to a single Reuters origin.

What is disputed

It is not established who restricted the service, or why. SpaceX head Elon Musk has not acknowledged responsibility, according to France 24. Neither has the US government. Each has said publicly that any such decision could only have been taken by the other. France 24 said Reuters has reported that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe Reuters' sourcing for this.

What each side says

• Ukraine's defence ministry: Speeds have returned to normal and the connection is stable.
• Ukrainian officials: The restrictions undermined Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attack drones and disrupted frontline communications, according to France 24. The reports do not include independent verification of these effects.
• Elon Musk: Any decision to restrict the service could only have been taken by the US government.
• US government: Any such decision could only have been taken by SpaceX or Musk.
• Donald Trump: On Friday, he said that if problems with Starlink access in Ukraine persisted, he would "get it straightened out", according to France 24.

The reports do not include any statement from SpaceX, Musk or the White House on the restoration.

Analysis

The episode shows how much Ukraine's military relies on one privately operated satellite network. That network sits within a wider US-Ukraine relationship. If the restoration holds, tensions over the network may ease. However, the question of who ordered the restrictions remains open. It could resurface if access becomes linked to diplomatic disputes. SpaceX and the US government each point to the other. That leaves the decision-making chain unclear for Kyiv. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not address whether the dispute could affect other governments that use commercial satellite services. Independent data on speeds and operational impact would help clarify what happened. Such data is not included in the reports reviewed by Vocemundi.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.