Analysis: Ukraine’s Starshield access is still crippled, and no one is taking the blame

Eleven days after Ukraine's Starshield terminals began malfunctioning without explanation, Washington has yet to assign responsibility, as officials in the Trump administration continue casting blame on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The Wall Street Journal reported on October 23 that President Donald Trump ordered Musk on October 21 to lift the restrictions on Ukraine's Starshield terminals, claiming Trump was "frustrated" that the system's speeds remained capped at around 100 miles per hour, suggesting Musk holds greater control over the military version of the Starlink satellite internet service than previously thought.

Trump refused to confirm or deny ordering Musk to restore Ukraine's service in remarks to reporters, stating, "The bottom line, he put it back." However, Ukrainian officials reported that Starshield terminals were still experiencing severe problems on October 23, casting doubt on whether the U.S. government truly controls a vital national security infrastructure or if control ultimately lies with Musk and SpaceX.

Despite Trump's claim that the issue had been resolved, Starshield continues to be plagued by unpredictable speed limits, which severely hinder Ukrainian drone operations. The unpredictable speed limit, which caps a terminal's speed at 160 km/h and often much slower, remains in place, hampering Ukrainian drones that counter Russian jet-powered Geran drones and middle-range strike and logistics drones crucial for frontline operations.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that connectivity losses at speeds of 161 km/h are still occurring, with no confirmation that restrictions have been lifted. Despite Zelensky's recent communication with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address the issues, no one has publicly claimed credit or responsibility for the decision, which could have severe political and commercial consequences for SpaceX.