Ukraine awaits Pentagon, SpaceX confirmation that Starshield is fully restored
Ukraine expects official confirmation from the Pentagon and SpaceX that the Starshield satellite system has been fully restored. Despite an improvement, the system's speed remains unstable, which affects Ukraine's defense capabilities, Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in the United States, Denys Sienik, said on the TV channel Newsmax2 on Oct. 16.
Ukraine is eagerly awaiting official confirmation from the Pentagon and SpaceX that their Starshield satellite system has been fully restored. Despite some improvement, the system's speed remains unstable, impacting Ukraine's defense capabilities, according to the country's chargé d'affaires in the United States, Denys Sienik, who spoke on the TV channel Newsmax2 on October 16.
The Ukrainian diplomat expressed gratitude to the U.S. side for providing access to Starshield technology, which is crucial for Ukraine's security. Sienik noted that while the situation has improved from previous days, the system's speed continues to fluctuate, and Kyiv is waiting for the American side to clarify whether the issue has been resolved and the service fully restored.
The official emphasized that stable operation of the satellite technology is essential for Ukraine to protect its population and counter Russian attacks. Sienik also stated that Ukraine has always desired the war to end and is prepared for various ceasefire formats, including those involving energy infrastructure, the Black Sea, or a general truce.
On October 14, it was reported that Starlink speeds had been restricted, disrupting several important military missions for Ukrainian troops. This restriction, affecting Starshield packages used by Ukrainian forces, caused communication outages and potentially affected the performance of interceptor drones. A source in Ukraine's Defense Ministry later informed NV that communication is restricted at speeds exceeding 160 kph (approximately 100 mph).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously appealed to Elon Musk, accusing the slowdown of Starlink of being a "big mistake." On October 14, Musk stated that the speed restrictions on the military Starshield package are not under his company's control but rather depend on the U.S. government. Reuters reported that the order to reduce communication speeds originated from the White House.
The communication issues coincided with pressure on Kyiv from the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding strikes on Russian oil refineries, with reports suggesting that Washington threatened to halt intelligence sharing if the demands were not met.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
