Ethan Carter
Ukraine has announced the apparent restoration of full speed to its military internet service. Reports from the Wall Street Journal reveal that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara communicated on Saturday morning that the service has returned to normal after a ten-day period of throttling.
Recently, Ukraine has been able to share encouraging updates about its military efforts, largely due to its utilization of Starlink’s Starshield, a military-grade satellite internet service operated by SpaceX. For example, in September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces were successfully intercepting the majority of Russian Shahed drone attacks, as well as a significant number of conventional strikes using Shahed drones.
It is important to clarify that Starshield is intended for Ukraine’s domestic operations and has little influence on its drone missions targeting Russia, where attacks focus on oil and internet infrastructure. Notably, attacks on oil refineries had caused considerable concern for President Trump, who expressed on October 10 that Zelenskyy should “better damn well stop.” On the same day, Musk commented that Zelenskyy had “gone too far.” However, the Wall Street Journal emphasizes that Starshield’s primary function is to “intercept Russian Shahed-type drones, target the logistics of the Russian army, and impede Russia’s invasion efforts.”
When the internet speed reduction began on October 14, Ukrainian drones reportedly struggled to maintain connectivity at the necessary speeds to effectively pursue certain Russian drones. On October 16, Zelenskyy took to X to express that the slowdown hindered their ability to intercept attacks. He stated, “We couldn’t use a tool that helps protect people. That’s incredibly painful and frustrating.”
We don’t use Starlink for our responses inside Russia. We use Starlink to intercept jet-powered “shaheds” that attack our civilians and kill families.
Starlink wasn’t turned off – its speed was reduced. And when the speed was reduced, we were unable to intercept a certain number…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 16, 2026
Initially, Elon Musk suggested that President Trump was responsible for the speed reduction, stating, “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are determined by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Trump later asserted that neither he nor Musk were accountable for the changes.
Later reports from unnamed sources indicated that the decision ultimately rested with Musk, who, according to the Wall Street Journal on October 20, had ordered the implementation of the speed limit.
On Wednesday, Trump reportedly reached out to Musk to request the lifting of the speed limit. Despite this, there were still indications by Friday that Starshield had not been restored to its full capacity. When questioned by reporters about the slowdown, Trump stated, “I’ve heard it was fixed, but if it’s not, I’ll speak to him,” referring to Musk.
The Wall Street Journal notes that as of Friday, Ukraine continues to test high-speed drones, and no explanation has been provided by the U.S. regarding the speed reduction.
Gizmodo has contacted SpaceX for further comments and will provide updates if a response is received.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
