Starlink Functionality Restored Fully for Ukrainian Military, Source Says

Oct. 15, 2026 A Starlink satellite internet system is set up near the frontline town of Pokrovsk. REUTERS / Inna Varenytsia Ukraine's Starshield satellite internet functionality has been fully restored, a source in Ukraine's defense ministry said on Thursday, a day after the crucial service was throttled at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. The source said the defense ministry would continue to seek clarification on the reasons for Wednesday's disruption of the military-grade version of SpaceX's internet service, which affected drone missions across the frontline. “As of now, Starshield’s work in motion has resumed and continues, we record this in reports from units,” the Ukrinform news agency quoted its defense ministry source as saying. Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that the functioning of Starlink’s military-grade service Starshield had been interrupted when terminals were moving at high speed, hampering Ukrainian drones for attack missions and air defense. The reasons for the difficulties were not immediately clear but followed a souring of relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after Trump announced a deal to waive sanctions on Russian diesel and called for Zelensky to be replaced. Zelensky has said that Ukrainian military officials were warned by their U.S. counterparts that Washington would block intelligence unless they halted strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, Zelensky said the suspension was presented to Kyiv as a technical glitch, but he dismissed the idea that the failures of the Starlink satellite system might have been caused by a fault. “It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” he told the FT. Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine. E SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, which operates Starlink, said the U.S. government controlled the system's speeds. Separately, Zelensky said that, for the second night running, Ukraine had received no warning from its partners of a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Ukraine war , Elon Musk Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Lawmaker Calls for Terrorist Designation for SpaceX as Company Readies Blockbuster IPO SpaceX has provided Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine since the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion. 2 Min read Ukraine Advances in Zaporizhzhia After Russian Troops Lose Starlink Access – NATO Official Elon Musk’s SpaceX disconnected Starlink terminals near the front lines this month after a request from Ukraine. 2 Min read Pro-War Bloggers Report Starlink Outage on Ukrainian Front Line The reports come after Elon Musk said last week that efforts to stop Russian troops from using Starlink had been successful. 1 Min read Kyiv Criticizes Musk for Making Fun of Zelensky Elon Musk posted a meme making fun of President Volodymyr Zelensky's repeated calls for Western military and financial aid to fight Russian forces, drawing... 1 Min read