Zelensky: Starlink Restrictions for Ukraine’s Armed Forces Not Yet Fully Lifted

Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference in Brussels that restrictions on Starlink services for Ukraine’s Armed Forces had not yet been fully lifted, The Guardian reported.

He said SpaceX was restoring internet speeds, but not to their full capacity. The country needs “a certain level of speed” for its armed forces to operate effectively, he explained. Starlink had not been switched off, but speed restrictions had been imposed, which came as “a very dangerous and unpleasant surprise,” Zelensky said.

He also noted that Ukraine was “working with some countries, including France,” to develop additional capabilities related to Starlink.

Zelensky added that Ukraine was facing air-defence problems.

Earlier, Zelensky adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said that US company SpaceX had limited the speed of Starlink satellite internet terminals used by Ukraine’s military, disrupting “a number of operations.” On October 14, Zelensky called the Starlink shutdown a mistake and asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restore the service.

Musk later said Starlink is a commercial SpaceX service intended for civilian or defensive purposes, and that using it for offensive military operations was inappropriate for a private company. He also said that restrictions on the speed and use of the military Starshield system are set by the US armed forces. Starshield is SpaceX’s satellite service for government and military use, providing secure communications.

Reuters reported that the decision to restrict communications services for Ukrainian troops came from the White House.