Ukraine said Saturday that the Starlink satellite system and the military Starshield service were back at high operating speeds after more than a week of disruptions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that the restoration began overnight.
"The most important thing today is that Starlink and Starshield operations have been restored to the speeds we had before the restrictions," Zelenskyy said. "The speeds are now where they need to be."
Starlink has been critical to Ukraine's defense in Russia's full-scale war. Ukraine uses it for drone operations, logistics such as delivering food and water to soldiers, and frontline communications. Zelenskyy said the service also helps defend against Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia.
The Defense Ministry said its monitoring systems were officially recording the restored speed and that connectivity remained stable at more than 250 mph. The restrictions had capped speed at about 100 mph, hindering drone interception and disrupting missions. Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said the restoration followed direct dialogue by Zelenskyy and mattered above all for the front line, service members, drone operations, logistics and communications.
The United States and Ukraine had disagreed over who was to blame. Zelenskyy told NBC's Meet the Press that Ukrainian officials believed the U.S. government was behind the disruptions and that SpaceX imposed the restrictions after a message from the American government. In an Oct. 14 post on X, Elon Musk said Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," he said.
The Trump Administration denied interfering with Ukraine's Starshield access. Speaking to reporters Friday, President Trump declined to say who ordered the restrictions. "I wouldn't tell you if I did know," he said. He also defended Musk, saying, "Elon will never do anything wrong," and calling him a fair person he knows well. In his post on the restoration, Zelenskyy thanked Americans, including members of Congress, the State Department and President Trump.
The restoration comes during a renewed U.S.-led push for peace talks. Russia has agreed to a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and the United States next month. Russia and Ukraine also agreed to a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine. The White House said First Lady Melania Trump brokered it, with humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation as a food crisis grows in the city.
Ukraine and Russia continued to trade attacks elsewhere. Ukraine struck a chemical plant in the Russian city of Tolyatti on Saturday. A Russian drone hit a residential building in Kyiv's Obolon District the same day and caused a fire.