Ukraine says Starlink speeds are fully restored after two weeks of restrictions on its military
Kyiv’s defence ministry says front-line satellite service is back to normal, while US lawmakers press the Pentagon for guarantees and Ukraine plans its own system.
The speed of the Elon Musk-owned satellite system used by the Ukrainian military has been fully restored after two weeks of restrictions, the country’s ministry of defence said in a statement on Saturday1.
Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before the restrictions that disrupted front-line operations2.
The restrictions limited the Ukrainian military from using drones to intercept Russian attack drones, and from using its own drones to send supplies to soldiers on the front lines1.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Musk had restored Ukraine’s access, while Kyiv said service was still limited3.
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The dispute behind it
The restrictions were at the centre of the recent crisis between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government1.
Zelensky saw the restrictions as retaliation by Trump and Musk for his refusal to halt strikes against Russian oil refineries1.
Musk, the world’s richest man, leads the company behind both Starlink and Starshield8.
The administration has offered mixed messages on limits to Ukraine’s Starshield access, and Musk last week put the onus on the Trump administration8.
The head of a committee on Ukraine has said Witkoff should step down2.
Why it matters to investors
The episode shows how much of a military’s communications can depend on one private provider1,7.
Bipartisan US lawmakers have appealed to the Pentagon to restore Starlink for Ukraine, and urged it to renew ‘unlimited-speed’ service, maintain needed geographic coverage and consider using Defense Production Act authorities5,6.
They also urged the Department of Defense to expand the Starshield contract for Ukraine and maintain the coverage it needs for legitimate military operations4.
Ukraine plans an independent satellite system as its Starlink issues persist7.
The defence ministry’s statement ends two weeks in which drone operations on the front were curtailed1.
That combination, government pressure on SpaceX on one side and a customer building its own capacity on the other, bears on the contracts behind Musk’s satellite business4,7.
What to watch
The first marker is whether service stays at full speed, given Kyiv’s earlier complaint that it was still limited1,3.
The second is whether the Pentagon renews unlimited-speed service or uses Defense Production Act powers6.
The third is progress on Ukraine’s own satellite system7.
Sources
- Speed restrictions on Musk’s Starlink lifted in Ukraine, defense ministry says, axios.com (2026-10-24)
- “ Witkoff should step down” says Ukraine Committee Chief - Spotlight - France 24, france24.com (2026-10-24)
- Trump says Elon Musk restored Ukraine’s Starlink access but Kyiv says service still limited, nbcnews.com (2026-10-24)
- US lawmakers urge Pentagon to expand Starshield contract for Ukraine, pravda.com.ua (2026-10-24)
- Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers have appealed to the Pentagon to restore Starlink for Ukraine, news.liga.net (2026-10-24)
- Press Release: Marcy Kaptur and Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Restore and ..., quiverquant.com (2026-10-24)
- Ukraine plans independent satellite system as Starlink issues persist - Al Jazeera, aljazeera.com (2026-10-24)
- Trump administration offers mixed messages on limits to Ukraine’s Starshield access - PBS, pbs.org (2026-10-24)
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