Starshield satellite terminals resume operation while in motion, Ukrainian Defense Ministry sources tell NV

The ministry said Starshield service had been restored for use while in motion and remained operational.

However, officials are still investigating the causes and circumstances of the restrictions imposed the previous day.

Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

Volunteer and former adviser to the defense minister Serhiy Sternenko was the first to report problems with Starlink on the morning of Oct. 14. According to Sternenko, SpaceX restricted Ukrainian military terminals overnight based on drone speed, disrupting “several important missions.”

Serhiy Beskrestnov, known by the call sign Flash, confirmed the information and warned that the restrictions could prevent interceptor drones from shooting down jet-powered Shahed drones.

Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps reported communications disruptions in the Huliaipole sector. The restrictions also affected Starshield, a military service package that had previously been exempt from such limits.

An NV source in the Defense Ministry confirmed that communications were being restricted at speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour (99 mph). The restrictions complicate logistics for Ukraine's Defense Forces, drone operations and strikes at medium range.

Senior officials in Kyiv told the Financial Times that the restrictions had been imposed without warning in the middle of the night.

Terminals began losing their signal at speeds above 160 kilometers per hour, disrupting several military missions early on Oct. 14.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to Elon Musk and called the Starlink slowdown “a big mistake.”

On Oct. 14, SpaceX owner Elon Musk said speed restrictions affecting the military Starshield service were determined by the U.S. government, not his company. He made the statement in response to a post on X by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

The communications disruptions coincided with pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Kyiv over strikes against Russian oil refineries. According to media reports, Washington had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine.