Trump presses Elon Musk to restore Starlink speeds for Ukrainian forces

Defence ministry sources in Ukraine report ongoing problems with the Starlink network, despite Donald Trump's claim that restrictions had been lifted by Elon Musk. Ukrainian officials have observed drones experiencing connection loss at speeds of 161km/h (100mph), which is hindering military operations. Trump denied instructing Musk to restrict connectivity to Starlink’s military counterpart, Starshield, before stating on Thursday that Musk had "put it back".

Musk had previously denied any involvement in the slowdown, which impairs Ukraine's ability to use attack drones and coordinate defensive operations. The Ukrainian defence ministry confirms they are continuously monitoring the performance of both networks, but there is still "no confirmation" that the restrictions have been lifted.

In the previous week, Kyiv reported that uplink speeds to low Earth orbit satellites had been limited, affecting drone speeds. Musk suggested the Pentagon might be behind the issues, claiming Starshield, used by Ukraine for some operations, is controlled by the US military. The White House has repeatedly denied intentionally placing limits on the network.

Trump has not confirmed whether he personally contacted Musk to request the lifting of restrictions. Ukraine relies on both the civilian Starlink and the secure Starshield networks, which employ 10,000 satellites for connectivity in remote areas and on the battlefield. Starshield enables Ukrainian drone operators to view targets in real-time and operate interceptor drones.

Russia is barred from using Starlink, so when Ukraine sends long-range missiles into Russia to target oil refineries, the network does not function. This network is not operational during recent reports of a diplomatic dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Trump's sanctions waivers on Russia and a deal to import Russian diesel have been criticized by Ukraine and its European allies. Strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Kyiv claims are vital for reducing Moscow's war effort revenue, have contributed to global fuel price increases. These price rises are primarily due to the Iran war.

Zelensky stated that Ukraine's struggle to fully restore the system's speed is ongoing, and he is awaiting a response from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for more information within 48 hours.