Ukraine Cannot Confirm Starlink Speed Limits Were Lifted

Ukraine's Defense Ministry is still recording disruptions in Starlink and Starshield service at the front, Ukrainska Pravda sources in the ministry said, citing also the account of Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov.

According to the sources, the Defense Forces and ministry specialists continuously monitor the Starlink and Starshield links and record the results. "As of this morning, cases of lost connection at a speed of 161 km/h are still being observed. There is no confirmation that the restrictions have been lifted for now," one source said.

Beskrestnov, an unpaid adviser to the president, confirmed this. "For now we do not see the Starlink restrictions being lifted. There are isolated cases when Starlink may move somewhat faster than the limit, but this is probably the result of SpaceX's algorithm or special conditions of use, not the lifting of the restriction," he wrote on Facebook on Friday.

Background

The Wall Street Journal, citing informed American and Ukrainian officials, reported that Trump had allegedly called Elon Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions on the military version of Starlink in Ukraine; our earlier report covers the WSJ story. On the evening of October 22, US President Donald Trump said Musk had already lifted the speed limits for the military version of Starlink in Ukraine, but declined to say whether he had personally called Musk about it.

More in our Technology section.