Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield high speed restrictions have been lifted

Ukraine said Saturday that high-speed service has been restored for SpaceX's Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems, a day after declaring that they remained throttled. Ukrainian official said the service disruption left the country vulnerable to Russian attacks.

"The monitoring systems of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially record the restoration of the speed of Starlink/Starshield," it said in a statement. "The connection remains stable [while equipment is moving] at speeds over 400 km/h (249 miles per hour)."

"Previously, monitoring systems recorded limitations in the operation of Starlink/Starshield. Now the speed indicators have been restored," the ministry added.

Starlink is SpaceX's broader commercial satellite internet network, while Starshield is the company's government operations built on Starlink technology.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Since Oct. 14, Ukrainian officials have accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of undermining the country's ability to defend itself by imposing speed limits on Starshield, the military-grade offering of its Starlink satellite internet service. Officials said any drone traveling above 100 mph lost its connection, disrupting some missions.

Despite recent comments from U.S. President Donald Trump indicating service was restored, Ukraine's Starshield terminals continued to experience problems on Friday, said Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a Washington, D.C., think tank focused on energy, defense tech and global trade.

'Things have become harder'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Friday post on X that the restrictions on Starlink and Starshield "are still there," and added, "The speed has not been restored." He noted that the country is also waiting for the U.S. to deliver missile interceptors "that were already agreed on."

"Things have become harder — partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits," Zelenskyy wrote. "But our frontline is still holding and I am proud of how strong our people are."

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said it continues to monitor the systems' operations.

"This result is, above all, important for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics, and communications," Defense Minister Yevgeny Khmara said in the statement.

Lawmakers in the U.S. from both parties have called for a formal probe into Musk and SpaceX over alleged unilateral changes the company made to its services in Ukraine.