Ukraine reports Starshield service restoration after unexplained restrictions
Ukraine's Defense Ministry has reported that Starshield satellite communications are being restored for military operations involving moving equipment, following restrictions that disrupted Ukrainian drone missions.
Defense Ministry sources told hromadske on October 15 that the restoration was ongoing, with improvements confirmed through reports from military units.
The ministry is continuing discussions with relevant parties to establish the causes and circumstances of the restrictions imposed the previous day.
On October 14, Defense Ministry sources confirmed to hromadske that SpaceX had restricted Ukraine's access to Starshield, the military-grade version of its Starlink satellite internet service, without prior warning.
The restrictions caused terminals to lose connectivity when moving above a certain speed, complicating drone interception and strike missions, frontline logistics, reconnaissance and communications relay operations.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov subsequently reported a partial restoration of connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (99 mph) and thanked SpaceX owner Elon Musk.
Musk responded that Starshield systems were owned and controlled by the US government, which was responsible for decisions about their use.
The White House also denied deliberately restricting Ukraine's access, attributing the disruption to a technical malfunction, according to Axios.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry has been communicating with the United States, SpaceX and NATO partners while collecting reports from military units and checking backup communications channels.