Ukraine says Starlink speeds restored as Reuters details past U.S. requests
Ukraine's defense minister said Saturday that Starlink and its military version, Starshield, are back to full speed after more than a week of throttling, as Reuters reported that both the Biden and Trump administrations had for years asked SpaceX to switch the service on or off abroad.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
"We are recording speeds exceeding 400 km/h, and the connection is stable," Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said Saturday, meaning drones can again keep their satellite link at high speed. On Friday Ukrainian officials had told POLITICO drones still lost signal above 160 km/h, despite President Trump saying Thursday that Elon Musk had "put it back."
Why it matters
Ukrainian units say there is no rival to Starlink at the front, and European officials are now arguing for their own military satellite network.
More context
The backstory: Ukraine said last week its Starshield access had been deliberately limited. Reuters has reported the order came from inside the White House; the administration acknowledged the slowdown but has not said whether it gave the order. Musk wrote that Starshield limits "are decided by the US military and ultimately" the president.
The Reuters report: Six former senior U.S. officials told Reuters that the Biden administration asked SpaceX to cut Starlink to Iran-backed militants in Yemen and Lebanon and to switch it on for Ukraine and Iran, and that the Trump administration asked for service in Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026. They spoke anonymously; SpaceX did not respond.
Two framings: Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said "unelected billionaires and private corporations should not decide" national security. Musk's position is that the government, not SpaceX, controls Starshield limits. The Reuters account suggests both: administrations of both parties have leaned on one private company to carry out foreign policy.
What's still unknown: Who ordered the throttling, and why; Trump said he had not spoken with Musk about it and would get it "straightened out" if there were a problem.
4 listed sources
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Sourcing: Ukraine's defense minister on the record via POLITICO Europe, the Kyiv Independent and AP. The account of past U.S. requests comes from a Reuters exclusive based on six former senior U.S. officials and others who spoke anonymously; neither SpaceX nor the White House confirmed it. Photos are 2022 file images.
Like US Brief? You can support it with a tip.