Trump administration denies requesting Starlink limits for Ukraine's military

Defense Ministry sources: 100 mph cap remains; no confirmation restrictions lifted

The Trump administration denied that either the administration or the Pentagon had requested that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk restrict Starshield connection speeds for Ukraine’s military. Unnamed Defense Ministry officials told the BBC and The Kyiv Independent that there was no confirmation the restrictions had been lifted, while one source said the 100 mph cap remained in place. UPI reported that the Ukrainian military’s Starlink access was restricted on the evening of Oct. 13, with viable connection speeds for hardware, mostly drones, falling from 250 mph to 100 mph or lower. The Starlink problems coincided with a curtailment of U.S.-provided advance intelligence on incoming attacks, and UPI said the two disruptions together left Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure dangerously exposed to airborne Russian strikes.

Unnamed Defense Ministry officials told the BBC and The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine was still experiencing slow transmission speeds over SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications system on Friday. They said terminals mounted to drones were throttled whenever the drones exceeded 100 mph, negatively affecting the military’s air defenses as well as offensive operations.

The Defense Ministry sources said there was “currently no confirmation that these restrictions have been lifted.” One source said Thursday night: “Overall, nothing has changed anywhere. The 100 mph speed cap remains in place, severely limiting key military operations, including mid-range strikes and high-speed drone interceptions.”

The officials said Thursday night: “Maybe something will become clear by morning. For now, the main interesting aspect of this is that there are absolutely no explanations for what’s happening. Even though this is a top-priority system.”

The Trump administration denied Musk’s Oct. 14 claims that either the administration or the Pentagon had requested he restrict connection speeds on Starshield, the military version of Starlink. The administration said Thursday that Musk had restored Ukrainians’ access to the level they had previously received. Trump said, “Bottom line, he put it back,” but declined to confirm a report that he had called Musk to get him to remove the restrictions.

The Ukrainian military’s Starlink access was suddenly restricted on the evening of Oct. 13, two days after Trump announced a unilateral energy cease-fire. The speed at which Starlink-equipped hardware, mostly drones, could maintain a viable connection fell from 250 mph to 100 mph or lower.

UPI reported that the Starlink problems coincided with the stream of advance intelligence on incoming attacks normally provided by the United States being curtailed, and that the two disruptions together left Ukraine’s urban centers and critical infrastructure dangerously exposed to airborne Russian strikes.

In a separate service matter, Zelensky confirmed Tuesday that intelligence-sharing by the United States had resumed and was operating normally. He said: “Now it works. It’s great. It’s very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians, because we can hear when ballistic [missiles] is coming. So we are thankful to the American side.”

UPI reported that the intelligence gives Ukrainian authorities precious minutes to sound air raid sirens, allowing people to take cover in bomb shelters or underground and for schools, hospitals and other vulnerable people to be evacuated.

UPI’s account left two distinct service questions. Trump and his administration said Starlink access had been restored, while Defense Ministry sources said the 100 mph cap remained in place and that there was no confirmation the restrictions had been lifted. Zelensky said U.S. intelligence sharing was operating normally, but that did not resolve the Starlink restrictions.

Earlier, MSI reported that Musk said Starshield limits were set by the U.S. military and ultimately President Donald Trump, while Ukrainian officials said it remained unclear whether every restriction had been lifted. UPI’s Oct. 23 account reports that a 100 mph cap remained in place and the administration denied requesting the restrictions.