Ukraine Says Starlink/Starshield Holds Stable Link at Speeds Above 400 km/h After 10 Days of Limits

Ukraine's Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said on Saturday, Oct. 24, that the ministry is recording stable Starlink/Starshield connections at speeds above 400 km/h. Reuters quotes him as saying: "We're recording a speed of over 400 km/h; the connection is stable." Politico and Ukrinform word it: "We are recording speeds exceeding 400 km/h, and the connection is stable." Khmara spoke to reporters via WhatsApp messages. The Associated Press reports the ministry's monitoring showed stable connections on objects traveling faster than 400 kph.

Kyiv first reported on Oct. 14 that speed limits were affecting Starlink/Starshield terminals. Interfax-Ukraine reported the limits began that night, about 10 days ago. The cap was roughly 160-161 km/h, and CBS News reports some units lost links at lower speeds. Earlier on Saturday, ministry sources told Interfax-Ukraine the service was working above 161 km/h and that testing at higher speeds continues to find the upper limit. The ministry did not say whether service is fully restored.

SpaceX has not publicly commented, and the AP did not get a response from the company. On Oct. 14, Musk wrote on X that any limits on Starshield speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 22, citing U.S. officials, that President Trump called Elon Musk the day before, on Oct. 21, and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of the military-grade version of Starlink. Asked about the report that day, Trump declined to say whether he had called Musk. "I don't want to comment on it," he said. "Whether I called or whether somebody else called doesn't make any difference. I guess the bottom line, he put it back." On Oct. 23, asked whether he had spoken to Musk about the issue, Trump told reporters: "I have not spoken to him. I might have to, but I have not." He added that he had heard the problem was fixed. He did not directly address the Journal's account of the Oct. 21 call.