The military version of Starlink in Ukraine continues to operate with a speed limit, despite US President Donald Trump saying the restrictions have been lifted. This was reported by the Associated Press, citing a senior European official familiar with the situation.
According to the official, the Ukrainian authorities have not yet received an explanation as to who ordered the speed limit and why this decision was made.
On October 22, Trump said that Starlink in Ukraine “is operating without restrictions again“. The Wall Street Journal sources claim that the US president personally told Elon Musk to lift the restrictions.
The restriction affects the military version of Starshield
On October 14, Ukrainian servicemen reported that they had encountered restrictions in the operation of Starlink satellite communication terminals. This is the military version of the system called Starshield, which is operated by the company SpaceX.
At drone speeds above 160 kilometers per hour, the connection was interrupted and the system stopped working. The restriction affected the use of the terminals in operations with fast-moving drones.
Trump said that he did not order the Starlink speed restriction. Elon Musk, who heads SpaceX, has said that decisions about Starshield are made at the Pentagon and White House levels.
Public versions of the origin of the decision remain contradictory. Journalists from various media outlets, citing their sources, claim that the restriction of Starlink in Ukraine was taken by Musk and Trump. At the same time, Trump denies ordering such a measure, and the Ukrainian authorities have not received an official explanation for it.
Sources: meduza.io, apnews.com