Ukrainian officials have reported that restrictions on Starlink satellite communications remain in effect despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that full access to the service had been restored.
On Friday, October 23, five Ukrainian officials familiar with the situation confirmed that speed limitations affecting Starlink connections were still disrupting military drone operations, particularly for aircraft travelling faster than 160 kilometres per hour.
The restrictions, which have reportedly been in place since October 13, have complicated Ukraine’s military operations amid worsening diplomatic relations between Kyiv and Washington.
Trump announced Thursday that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s Starlink access. However, Ukrainian authorities said they had not observed any significant changes to the service.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated on Telegram that the speed restrictions remained active. He acknowledged that some Starlink-equipped systems occasionally exceeded the imposed limits but suggested these exceptions could be linked to SpaceX’s operating algorithms or specific technical conditions.
A Ukrainian Defence Ministry source and two other officials also confirmed that the limitations had not been removed.
The restrictions emerged during a period of increasing tensions between the United States and Ukraine following several controversial policy decisions by the Trump administration.
Trump recently announced an agreement to purchase Russian diesel and waived additional sanctions against Moscow. He also urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries and called for Zelenskyy’s replacement.
Zelenskyy has warned that the Starlink limitations are affecting Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities against Russian jet-powered drone attacks. The restrictions have also disrupted military operations along the front lines, where Ukrainian forces rely on satellite communications to operate drones over Russian-occupied territory.
Starlink has played a significant role in Ukraine’s military communications infrastructure throughout the conflict, supporting battlefield coordination and drone operations.
Denys Sienik, a representative of the Ukrainian embassy in the United States, expressed disappointment over the continued restrictions, saying Ukrainian personnel were awaiting improvements that would allow them to strengthen their defensive capabilities.
He emphasized that restoring unrestricted access would help Ukrainian forces protect civilians and respond more effectively to Russian attacks.
As of Friday, Ukrainian officials maintained that the restrictions remained unchanged, leaving uncertainty over when full Starlink functionality might be restored.
