Ukraine says Starlink speed limit lifted
After ten days of throttling, Ukraine says its military satellite internet appears to be back to full speed.
25 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara said on Saturday morning that the speed limit on its Starlink military service appeared to have been lifted, restoring normal service after a ten‑day slowdown that began on Oct. 14.
Throttling hits Ukrainian drones
Starshield, SpaceX’s military‑grade satellite internet, is used mainly to intercept Russian Shahed drones and bomb Russian army logistics, according to the Wall Street Journal. In September, Zelenskyy said the system was intercepting most Shahed jet attacks. Trump had been upset by Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, and Musk posted on October 10 that Zelenskyy had ‘gone too far.’
When the throttling began, Ukrainian drones lost the connection speed needed to chase certain Russian drones. On Oct. 16, Zelenskyy posted on X that the slowdown was preventing attacks from being intercepted. He called it painful and frustrating, and said the system had not been turned off, only slowed.
Musk said the US government owned and controlled Starshield, and that limits were decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Trump denied that he or Musk was responsible. Later anonymous reports, cited by the Wall Street Journal, suggested Musk had ordered the limit. On Wednesday, Trump reportedly called Musk to ask that it be lifted. Trump said he had heard it was fixed, but he would speak to Musk if it was not.
Ukraine is still testing high‑speed drones as of Friday, and the US has yet to explain the slowdown.
