SpaceX has apparently lifted restrictions on the Ukrainian military’s use of Starshield, the service’s military‑grade version of its Starlink broadband.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara stated that Starshield is now operating normally, though the Ukrainian military is still running tests and has not been given a reason for the outage.
This situation follows a ten‑day hitch in which Ukrainian drones lost internet connectivity while cruising at roughly 100 mph, causing some platforms to lose control while others became more exposed at lower speeds.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump allegedly called SpaceX chief Elon Musk and urged a restoration of Starshield services. Both the president and the CEO have publicly condemned Kyiv’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Musk recently asserting that Zelensky has crossed the line.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Musk directed SpaceX to throttle Ukraine’s Starlink access, a move reportedly discussed with the Trump administration beforehand. In an X post, Musk accused Ukraine of breaching Starlink’s terms of service and using the platform for offensive drone strikes.
“Were Starlink to be disabled, the Ukrainian front line would collapse instantly,” Musk warned. “This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact.”