Starlink Service in Ukraine Returns to Normal After 10-Day Disruption, Kyiv Says
SpaceX appears to have lifted the restrictions that had curtailed the Ukrainian military's use of Starshield, the military-grade version of the company's Starlink internet system.
Service Restored, But Questions Remain
The Wall Street Journal reports that Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara told reporters Starshield appears to be working normally again. However, the military is still conducting tests and has not received an explanation for the restrictions.
The restoration follows a 10-day period during which Ukrainian drones lost internet connectivity when flying at speeds of around 100 miles per hour. As a result, the military lost control of some drones, while others became more vulnerable because they had to fly more slowly.
Trump Reportedly Intervened
President Donald Trump reportedly called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to restore Starshield service. Both Trump and Musk have criticized Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Musk recently posting on X, "Zelensky has gone too far."
The WSJ previously reported that Musk ordered SpaceX to throttle Ukraine's Starlink access, though some sources claimed he had discussed the move with the Trump administration first. Musk claimed in a post on X that Ukraine had "violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people."
Musk's Warning
"Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately," Musk said. "This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact."
The episode highlights the extent to which Ukraine's battlefield communications and drone operations have come to depend on commercial satellite infrastructure β and how quickly that dependency can become a point of geopolitical leverage.
via TechCrunch