Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s Starlink internet access, US President Donald Trump has said, after restrictions hampered Kyiv’s armed forces.
Trump made the comments after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said connectivity to the military-grade Starshield network, which is provided by Musk’s satellite-based Starlink system, had yet to be fully restored.
Musk previously denied he was behind the slowdown, which affects Ukraine’s ability to use drones to attack Russian targets in Ukraine and protect itself from attacks.
Trump refused to be drawn on a report that he had called Musk to ask him to lift restrictions to the service, but said: “Bottom line, he put it back.”
The connectivity restrictions came as Trump put pressure on Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, which he has argued have caused prices to rise.
Faced with midterm elections next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market – a move criticised by Ukraine and its European allies.
ReutersWhy is Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine?
Ukraine uses both the civilian service Starlink and the more secure Starshield, depending on what communications are needed.
The networks use 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide connectivity, particularly in remote areas and battlefields.
Modern warfare often relies on the use of high-speed internet to effectively operate drones.
Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky said the speed of the system used by Ukraine’s military had still not been restored fully.
He told a news conference that the speed “has not been restored to 400 [km/h; 250mph] yet”, adding: “We are working on it.”
He continued: “I am waiting to hear from US Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio. He promised to get back to me with information within 48 hours or so.”
The Ukrainian president made the comments shortly before the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink.
The US outlet reported that Trump told Musk he was frustrated the Starlink system’s speeds were still capped at around 160km/h, according to officials.
The speed limit made Ukraine’s offensive drones and interceptors powerless against Russian attacks.
The journal reported that the system was working more normally on Thursday, shortly after their conversation.
BBC News has not confirmed the Wall Street Journal’s report. It has also contacted the White House and SpaceX.
Ukraine first reported an interruption to US intelligence sharing on 14 October.
Musk said last week that the US government ultimately controls access to Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink which Ukraine uses for some of its operation. He said the system was designed for the Pentagon, suggesting the US military may therefore be behind the restrictions.
The White House has repeatedly said it did not order access to be restricted.
