According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on October 24th local time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Hmar said that the 'Starlink' system used by the country's military had returned to normal operation on Saturday morning.
According to Hermara, drone tests show that the military version of 'Star Link', called 'Star Shield', can maintain a stable connection even when traveling at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour.
Other Ukrainian officials said that tests are still being conducted at a higher speed. One of the officials stated that Kiev has yet to receive any explanations from the United States regarding why the 'Star Shield' suddenly encountered speed restrictions.
According to CCTV news reports, Hera Mara believes that this advancement is of significant importance for frontline operations. It will support troop mobility, drone missions, military logistics, and battlefield communication.
Hermala said that the Ukrainian side will continue to monitor and record the operating conditions of both systems. The next step is to conduct tests under higher speeds, to determine the maximum speed that the system can handle, and to fully assess the level of recovery in communication capabilities.
On October 20th, local time, The Wall Street Journal reported citing sources from US officials and knowledgeable individuals that speed limits were imposed last week on the ‘Star Shield’ satellite service, which Ukraine relies on. This directive, which caused panic in Kiev, came from SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk.
"Star Shield" is a satellite communication system developed by SpaceX. It is considered the military version of "Starlink," used for military communications and combat operations, including controlling drones and guiding artillery strikes.
"Star Shield" is also a key pillar in Ukraine's air defense system that protects against Russian unmanned aircraft. Last week, Ukrainian officials reported difficulties with the Star Shield receivers installed on their mobile vehicles, impacting mission-critical navigation and control for the military drones using the system. Ukrainian President Zelensky then accused Trump and Musk of ordering restrictions.
On October 16th local time, when asked about this matter, Trump stated that he did not order restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starstreak technology. He also believed that Musk did not issue such an instruction.
Musk also posted an article on the same day, stating that whether it is reducing the operating speed or restricting the use of satellites, these decisions are made by the U.S. military or the president.
U.S. Defense Secretary Heggseth responded on Tuesday (the 20th) that the U.S. military “did not issue any instructions or anything similar,” and the U.S. side “did not withdraw anything.” However, “Starlink has the right to decide its service terms.”
According to the website of the US State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken denied on October 17 local time that the White House had ordered restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the Starlink service. He also stated that Ukraine does not have access to the military version of Starlink, Starshield.
