US President Donald Trump personally asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to lift the restrictions on the military version of Starlink for Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on 22 October, citing US and Ukrainian officials. Shortly afterwards, the system began operating at higher speeds, although the Ukrainian side reports that its functionality has not yet been fully restored.
Briefly about the main points
- Trump has approached Musk regarding restrictions on the military satellite service.
- Following the discussion, the officials recorded higher system performance speeds.
- The Ukrainian side has not confirmed that full functionality has been restored.
- The previous limit could have caused drones to lose connection at speeds exceeding 160 km/h.
- The Pentagon denied that it had ordered the service to be restricted.
What has changed since Trump’s address
According to the WSJ, the improvement was noticed shortly after a telephone conversation between the US President and the head of SpaceX. American and Ukrainian officials have noted that the connection is now available at a higher data transfer rate than before.
At the same time, sources on the Ukrainian side interviewed by the publication indicated that the system had not yet returned to full operation. The WSJ did not provide any new performance figures or a timeframe for when the service’s full functionality might be restored.
How previous limits affected drones
On 20 October, the WSJ reported that Musk ordered a slowdown Starshield — SpaceX’s military satellite service. The restrictions were introduced on 14 October: they related to the speed at which terminals could maintain a stable connection with the satellites.
According to Ukrainian officials, the threshold was approximately 160–161 km/h. Once this threshold was exceeded, the drone could lose satellite communication. This complicated the use of attack drones and interceptor drones, which rely on communication for control and data transmission.
The restrictions were introduced against a backdrop of tensions between Kyiv and Washington over Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump He had previously criticised these attacks, linking them to rising energy prices, but there is no official confirmation of a link between this stance and the decision regarding Starshield.
Musk, Trump and the Pentagon’s versions of the decision
Following reports of a slowdown in the service, the parties gave differing explanations as to who had made the initial decision. Musk stated that Starshield is controlled by the US military, and that the final decisions on restrictions rest with the US President.
Trump denied any involvement in the slowdown and said he did not hold Musk responsible for the communication problems in Ukraine. The US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth For his part, he stated that the Pentagon had not issued any orders to restrict the service’s operations.
At the same time, the WSJ and CBS News, citing sources, reported that Musk had discussed the situation with senior officials in the Trump administration even before the limits were introduced. These reports do not make it possible to establish definitively whether the White House approved the initial decision.
What is the Ukrainian military using Starshield for?
The Ukrainian military uses satellite communications to coordinate units, transmit data and control unmanned systems. Starshield is a specialised military service provided by SpaceX, offering additional secure communications capabilities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the limits could have a direct impact on the effectiveness of air defence and the safety of the civilian population. Kyiv held talks with SpaceX and the US side in an attempt to resolve the problems with satellite communications.
