Ukraine's defense minister said Saturday that speed limits on Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, have been lifted. Minister Yevhenii Khmara said the change came after high-level contacts 1. Ukrainian authorities had reported the restrictions for more than a week 1.
We are recording speeds exceeding 400 km/h, and the connection is stable.
Khmara said the ministry's monitoring systems recorded the restoration and that it will keep tracking performance. He credited "direct dialogue and the firm stance taken by the President of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy) at the highest level" 1. The report does not say who the high-level contacts were with or what caused the limits 1.
What Ukraine said the slowdown did
Zelenskyy said a cap of about 100 mph shut down terminals and caused interceptor drones, which target Russian-launched Shahed munitions, to crash 3. He said Ukrainian tests showed terminals working above 112 mph in European Union countries, which suggested the limits were not technical 3. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, he said access was "still limited" 3.
Washington's shifting answers
The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 20 that Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade service 2. Reuters, citing U.S. and Western officials, reported the decision came from the White House, which the administration denied 2. Trump said he believed neither he nor Musk was behind it 2.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the matter was up to SpaceX and Musk, not the White House. He said it "is governed by a private commercial contract" 2. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, "There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to" 2. Reuters reported that the article gave no specifics on the contract terms 2.
Musk denied issuing the order. He wrote on X that limits "are decided by the US military and ultimately" the president 3. The Wall Street Journal could not verify whether Trump knew in advance, and its sources gave conflicting accounts 3.
Democrats press for answers
On Oct. 19, Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Betty McCollum of Minnesota sent Hegseth a letter demanding information. They warned that restricting Starshield "could be seen as militarily assisting Russia" and asked for findings within 30 days 3.
If it is one man who is dictating our foreign policy, then he puts the United States at enormous risk.
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania told CNN that Musk and others may need to testify under oath. He called it "a very, very serious matter" 3. Lawmakers in both parties also criticized Rubio's earlier claim that no one ordered the slowdown 2.
What happens next
Ukraine says it will keep monitoring the system 1. The DeLauro-McCollum 30-day deadline would fall around Nov. 18, after the Nov. 3 election. SpaceX did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment 2.
That matters because a restored connection does not settle who has the power to throttle it. Reuters said Rubio's comments are likely to intensify Washington concerns about Musk's influence over U.S. foreign policy 2.
The Record
- Reps. DeLauro and McCollum send Hegseth a letter demanding information on the Starshield restrictions 3.
- The Wall Street Journal reports Musk ordered the slowdown; Hegseth cites terms of service 23.
- Rubio says the matter is governed by a private commercial contract; Zelenskyy says access is still limited 23.
- Ukraine's defense minister says the speed limits have been lifted 1.
Sources
- Anadolu Agency, “Ukraine says Starshield speed restrictions lifted after high-level contacts” (2026-10-24). anews.com.tr/europe/2026/10/24/ukraine-says-starshield-speed
- Reuters (via The Star), “Starlink access in Ukraine a decision for Musk, not White House, Rubio says” (2026-10-21). thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/21/starlink-access-in-ukra
- Stars and Stripes, “Lawmakers seek answers on Starlink disruptions in Ukraine” (2026-10-21). stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-10-21/lawmakers-investigation-u
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