United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Ukraine’s Starlink internet access was restored by Elon Musk after the satellite service disruptions last week affected the country’s drone operations against the Russian army.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump declined to comment whether he had personally contacted Musk over the issue and said, “It was a very interesting situation. I don’t want to comment on it, you know, whether I called or whether somebody else called doesn’t make any difference. I guess the bottom line, he put it back.”
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said that Starlink speed had not been fully restored for Ukraine, reported Reuters.
“The speed has not been restored to 400 [km/h; 250mph] yet,” Zelenskyy said speaking at a press conference. “We are working on it,” he added.
Ukraine relies on Starlink to maintain satellite connectivity for drones
A slowdown in SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network that disrupted Ukraine’s drone operations was triggered by an order from company’s CEO Elon Musk, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed US officials and other sources. The move reportedly restricted Ukraine’s access to the satellite service, affecting the country’s ability to conduct both defensive and offensive drone missions against Russian forces.
Ukraine relies on Starlink, operated by Musk’s space technology company SpaceX, to maintain satellite connectivity for drones used to intercept Russian attack drones as well as those deployed in strikes against Moscow.
The disruption affected drone operations and resulted in the loss of drones and the failure of missions, according to Ukrainian commanders cited in the report.
Russia has continued its attacks on Ukraine, including strikes on civilian targets, making drone-based defence a key component of Kyiv’s efforts to counter Moscow’s military campaign.
What Ukraine said
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the failure to alert Kyiv ahead of a series of heavy Russian strikes late Tuesday and into Wednesday, calling it “completely unjust”. He also accused Moscow of deliberately violating what President Trump had described as an “energy ceasefire”.
Ukrainian officials and defence representatives also suggested that the US may have been involved in reports of reduced speeds on certain Starlink internet terminals.
“It’s obvious they (the United States) are helping Russia for some reason,” the senior official told AFP.
Musk says US government responsible, not SpaceX
Elon Musk said the US government, not SpaceX, is responsible for any restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its Starshield satellite communications system.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk had said on October 14, referring to President Trump.
