Starshield operations restored to speeds of more than 400 km/h, Ukraine's Defense Ministry says
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Starshield, the militarized version of Elon Musk's satellite internet system, Starlink, was working above speeds of 400 kilometers per hour (about 248 miles per hour) as of the morning of Oct. 24, after they had previously been limited to 161 kilometers per hour (about 100 miles per hour), Ukraine's Defense Ministry told reporters.
"We record a speed of more than 400 km/h, the connection is stable," the ministry said.
The ministry continues to monitor and record the work of Starlink and Starshield, according to Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara.
"This is another example of direct dialogue and the persistent position of the President of Ukraine at the highest level yielding results. And this result is, above all, important for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics, and communications," the ministry added.
Since mid-October, Starshield has been operating at limited capacity. With speed limit caps, Kyiv's ability to defend from deadly Russian jet-powered drones and coordinate strikes against Russian targets is hindered
Despite Ukrainian and U.S. officials apparently engaging in discussions to resolve the disruptions, nobody has publicly taken credit — or blame — for making or implementing the decision. However, the Trump administration officials continue pointing fingers firmly at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 23 that Trump had ordered SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Oct. 21 to lift the restrictions, saying the president was "frustrated the system's speeds remained capped at around 160 kilometers (100 miles) an hour."
Trump said he had not spoken to Musk about the issue but might do so if the problems persisted.
"I have not spoken to him," Trump said. "I might have to, but I have not... I've heard it's fixed. If it's not, I will speak to him.... If there's a problem, I will get it straightened out."
On Oct. 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that issues with Starlink continued to plague Ukrainian forces.
"The speed restrictions for Starlink and Starshield are still in effect," Zelensky said. "The speed has not been restored. And the supply of interceptor missiles to protect against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed."
On Oct. 23, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal announced that he is opening a probe into the Starlink disruption. Blumenthal's investigation asks the Pentagon to clarify who ordered the restrictions and to provide information on the U.S. military's own reliance on Starlink.
