SpaceX restores Ukraine's Starlink speeds after seven-day military throttle

SpaceX has restored full bandwidth to Ukraine's Starlink terminals, ending a seven-day period of reduced speeds that military officials said hampered drone operations and communications. Elon Musk confirmed on X on Saturday that his company controlled the throttle, stating that the service had been used for offensive strikes contrary to its commercial terms of service.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that speeds returned to normal levels overnight, with the system fully operational by Saturday morning. He noted that the restoration improved front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones. The cut had lasted more than a week, creating uncertainty among commanders about which agency ordered the interruption.

The slowdown began last week when SpaceX restricted access to the civilian Starlink service. Musk argued that using a commercial platform for offensive drone strikes was not permitted and that the loophole was closed during that period. He maintained that the U.S. government, rather than SpaceX, controlled changes to Starshield, the military-grade version of the network that supports drone operations.

Ukrainian military leaders reported that the restrictions resulted in lost drones and disrupted missions. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara attributed the resolution to direct dialogue between Kyiv and Washington, emphasizing that the outcome was critical for military logistics and communications. Zelenskyy credited his own diplomacy with securing the fix.

The restoration coincides with renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way talks with the U.S. and Ukraine next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the Kherson region, a move brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.

Washington officials are still determining the extent of their involvement. President Donald Trump said he did not order the cut but suggested Musk should not be blamed. Vice-President JD Vance indicated that the White House coordinated with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any administration involvement in the decision.

Fighting continued during the outage. A missile attack on Lozova in the Kharkiv region killed one man and wounded two others. Ukrainian forces struck a chemical plant in Tolyatti and an electronics plant in Oryol, where three people died. Drones also reached Omsk, more than 2,000 kilometers from the border, attacking an Ozon logistics center without reported casualties.