Ukraine said a movement cap on military satellite terminals remained in place Thursday, complicating claims that service had been restored after President Donald Trump reportedly sought a change.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Oct. 21 to seek removal of restrictions on a military-grade version of Starlink used in Ukraine. U.S. officials told the paper service performed better than under the cap the next day, while some Ukrainian officials said it still had not fully recovered.
Trump did not confirm whether he made the call. CNBC reported that he told reporters, “The bottom line, he put it back.”
A Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent the military service remained capped at 161 kilometers per hour and said, “Overall, nothing has changed anywhere.” The figure describes how quickly connected terminals could travel; it does not measure internet data speed.
The Journal described a military-grade version of Starlink, while the Kyiv Independent referred to the restricted service as Starshield. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Oct. 21 that Trump and other U.S. officials had not requested changes and that the government could not direct a private company’s decisions. Rubio said Starlink is a commercial offering and described Starshield as a distinct defense system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Oct. 19 that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield in parts of the front hurt logistics, midrange strikes and defense against “shaheds.” The Kyiv Independent reported Zelenskyy was awaiting Rubio’s answer on restoring speeds up to 400 kilometers per hour; Rubio had promised a reply within 48 hours.
Four U.S. senators have asked SpaceX to provide records and information by Nov. 2.
