Starshield Service Restored for Ukraine's Military
Original: Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine
Why This Matters
Starshield's role in active combat shows how private satellite networks now shape battlefield outcomes.
SpaceX lifted restrictions on Starshield access for Ukraine's military after a 10-day outage caused drones to lose connectivity at ~100 mph. Defense Minister Khmara confirmed service appears normal; no official explanation given.
Ukraine's military Starshield service — the military-grade variant of SpaceX's Starlink — appears to have returned to normal operations after roughly 10 days of throttled access that disrupted drone operations. Ukrainian Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara told reporters the system is functioning again, though the military is still running tests and has received no formal explanation from SpaceX. During the outage, Ukrainian drones lost internet connectivity at speeds around 100 mph, forcing some to fly slower and leaving them more exposed, while others went entirely out of control. President Trump reportedly called Elon Musk Wednesday and asked him to restore the service. The restoration comes after Musk publicly accused Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes. "Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately," Musk wrote on X. "This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact." The WSJ had previously reported Musk personally ordered the throttling, though some sources said he coordinated with the Trump administration beforehand. Both Trump and Musk have been openly critical of President Zelensky.