Restrictions on “Starlink” operation for the Ukrainian military have not yet been fully lifted, but speed is being restored.
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing following a conversation with European leaders at the EU summit in Brussels.
He noted that due to the limitation of communication speed to 70 kmph, the Ukrainian military lost the ability to intercept some of the Russian “Shahed” jets, which fly at speeds of over 400 kmph.
"Have we fully restored the speed that we had? No. Is the speed returning? Yes," the president said.
Zelensky also stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not use “Starlink” for long-range strikes on Russian territory. However, according to him, Ukraine has approached “SpaceX” and the White House to obtain such an opportunity.
Separately, the president said that Ukraine is working with partners, including France, on an alternative to “Starlink”. But there is no talk of a complete replacement for “Starlink” right now, Zelensky stressed.
What preceded
On the night of October 14, “SpaceX” unilaterally restricted the operation of the “Starshield” terminals, a military version of “Starlink” satellite communications. As our sources in the Ministry of Defense told us, the Ukrainian Defense Forces were not notified of this decision.
Before that, the media wrote that the US was threatening to block the sale of weapons to Ukraine and the exchange of intelligence due to strikes on Russian refineries.
Commenting on this situation, the “SpaceX” founder Elon Musk wrote that the “Starshield” systems are controlled by the US government, so the speed limits and rules for their use are determined by the US military, and the final decision is made by President Donald Trump.
However, Reuters wrote that the order to restrict “Starshield” work for Ukraine came from the White House. Instead, they denied this and explained the situation as a "technical malfunction".
On October 15, Babelʼs sources in the Ministry of Defense reported that the “Starshield” work in motion has already resumed and is ongoing.
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