The Ukrainian military currently has no confirmation that restrictions on the operation of the “Starlink” system and its military version — “Starshield” — have been completely lifted.
This was reported to Babel by sources in the Ministry of Defense.
The Defense Forces and Ministry of Defense specialists constantly monitor the operation of the “Starlink” and “Starshield” lines and record the results.
However, as of the morning of October 23, there are still cases of loss of communication at speeds of 161 kmph. There is currently no confirmation that the restrictions have been lifted.
On the eve of the US President Donald Trump reported that “SpaceX” had already lifted the speed limit for the military version of “Starlink” in Ukraine.
What preceded
On the night of October 14, “SpaceX” without warning restricted the operation of “Starshield” terminals, the military version of “Starlink” satellite communications. The “SpaceX” founder Elon Musk said that the “Starshield” systems are controlled by the US government, so their use is determined by the US military, and the final decision is made by the president. The White House called the “Starshield” restrictions in Ukraine a “technical malfunction”.
On October 15, Babelʼs sources in the Ministry of Defense reported that the “Starshield” operation had already resumed and was ongoing. At the same time, Zelensky noted the next day that the network had not yet fully resumed. He separately noted that due to the speed limit, Ukraine had lost the ability to shoot down “Shahed” jet drones.
According to Zelensky, the order to restrict “Starlink” operations in Ukraine came from the US government, and was technically carried out by “SpaceX”. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied this and advised him to be more careful with such statements.
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