Ukrainian officials said satellite limits remained Friday after President Donald Trump said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk restored access, while three outlets reported anonymous Defense Ministry sources recording connection losses as terminals moved at 161 km/h.
Kyiv Post, Ukrainska Pravda and hromadske cited the sources in reports on Oct. 23. The figure described terminal travel speed, not internet data speed, and the accounts did not identify which satellite service was involved in every interruption. They did not describe a countrywide outage.
At the Hudson Institute on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s checks still showed a movement limit of about 160 km/h (100 mph), with restrictions on Starlink and Starshield still in place. Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov wrote on Facebook that he saw no sign the limits had been lifted. He said occasional cases above the threshold could reflect SpaceX algorithms or operating conditions.
Trump said Oct. 22, “I guess the bottom line, he put it back,” referring to Ukraine’s satellite access, but did not say whether he had called Musk. The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that Trump called Musk on Oct. 21 to ask him to lift the restrictions.
Ukraine’s presidential office said Oct. 19 that the restrictions were affecting frontline logistics, mid-range strikes and defenses against Shahed drones. Ukrainian officials say forces relying on connected drones, including interceptors, bear operational costs.
SpaceX describes Starlink as a consumer and commercial service, while Starshield is designed for government use. Musk has said the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced an inquiry on Oct. 22 in letters to the Defense Department and Musk. He said accounts differ over who ordered and implemented the restrictions and questioned the department’s reliance on SpaceX for critical satellite communications. His letters seek written answers by Nov. 5 and a briefing from SpaceX officials by Nov. 12.
