Ukraine reports Starlink speeds restored as Musk alleges military breach

• Ukraine said Starlink and Starshield speeds had returned to pre-restriction levels on 24 October.¹
• Officials had reported speed limits affecting military operations, including drone missions.²³
• Musk alleged a breach of Starlink’s terms; a Ukrainian adviser disputed that commercial Starlink could be used for the strikes he described.³⁴

Ukraine said on Saturday, 24 October, that Starlink and Starshield speeds had returned to pre-restriction levels. Its defence ministry said monitoring showed stable connections above 400 km/h, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the restoration began overnight and speeds were sufficient for military use by morning.¹⁵

Ukrainian officials had reported speed-related problems from 14 October, including a limit of about 160 km/h. Commanders described lost drones and disrupted missions, but the number of affected terminals, units and operations has not been disclosed.²³

Hours after the restoration announcement, SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said the company had restricted commercial Starlink, alleging Ukraine’s military used it for offensive drone strikes in breach of its terms. He said a “loophole was closed last week” and that Starshield was controlled by the US government. Musk provided no public evidence or details of the alleged strikes.³

On Sunday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov disputed the allegation. He said commercial Starlink terminals in Ukraine, including in occupied areas, had been subject to a 70–90 km/h movement limit since winter, and that Starlink did not operate over Russia. Those claims have not been independently verified.⁴

The reported limits are not directly reconciled: the ministry’s figure above 400 km/h covered Starlink and Starshield together, while Beskrestnov’s account concerned commercial Starlink terminals. The public statements do not specify whether they refer to the same equipment or operating conditions.¹⁴

Footnotes

1. https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/starlink-and-starshield-speed-restored-in-ukraine ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/ukraine-says-starlink-and-starshield-operating-at-400-kph-after-week-of-throttling-4970757 ↩ ↩²

3. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-starlink-drones-a3a0139dfc23365550306dd66fe43daa ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/10/25/8059587/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/vidnovili-robotu-starlinku-starshildu-na-shvidkosti-yaka-bul-107025 ↩