SpaceX owner Elon Musk acknowledged Saturday that Starlink speeds in Ukraine were reduced last week, adding a public explanation for a disruption Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said had ended.
Musk said on X that Ukraine’s military had breached service terms by using the civilian network for lethal drone attacks, which he said the rules prohibit. “That loophole was closed last week,” he wrote. He said U.S. authorities directed changes to Starshield, a separate SpaceX service that supports Ukraine’s communications and drone operations.
Zelenskyy said connections on Starlink and Starshield were back to earlier levels. He credited overnight connection upgrades with supporting military supply routes and defenses against Russian Shahed drones.
The Independent reported that Ukrainian commanders described drone losses and disrupted missions during the period of restrictions. The Independent reported that Russia agreed Wednesday to resume talks with Ukraine and the United States next month.
The Starlink restoration had earlier been the subject of U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks: he said Musk restored Ukrainian access, then said he had not spoken with him, as EconoTimes reported earlier.
