Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that the country had regained broader access to Starlink, a service used for military drones, battlefield communications and other fast-moving equipment. The change followed more than a week of speed limits on SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield services that disrupted Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.
What caused the slowdown remains unclear. Ukraine has accused President Donald Trump and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk of being behind it. Both have denied any involvement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump called Musk on Wednesday and asked him to address the slowdown.
Vice President JD Vance indicated that the US government could still have a role, saying Musk should not be expected to navigate the war without Washington "effectively directing him on what to do." Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied that the US government slowed Ukraine’s Starlink service.
The limits affected Starlink connections on Ukrainian drones traveling faster than roughly 100 mph, making it harder to keep satellite communications at higher speeds. Ukrainian officials said that as of Saturday the connections were remaining stable at 250 mph.
The restoration comes as both sides appear more eager to seek an end to the war, which has lasted more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox & Friends this week that he would be open to ending the war by freezing the fighting along the current front lines, describing that step as a ceasefire. Moscow has routinely opposed a ceasefire.
On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a ceasefire around Oleshky, a war-torn Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. The White House said First Lady Melania Trump had a major role in negotiating the localized pause, which will begin on Oct. 29 and allow humanitarian aid into Oleshky.
Fighting continued elsewhere. A missile strike on Lozova in the Kharkiv region killed one man and injured two others, local officials said Saturday, according to The Associated Press. Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck a chemical plant in the Russian city of Tolyatti that manufactures materials used in rocket fuel. Mayor Ilya Sukhikh said the overnight attack damaged industrial facilities across the city. The General Staff also said Ukrainian forces struck an electronics plant in Oryol that produces components for cruise and ballistic missiles used against Ukraine. Local officials said three people were killed in that attack, the AP reported.