Kyiv / Washington, 24 October. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink and its military version Starshield are working again at the level before restrictions were introduced more than a week ago, while SpaceX owner Elon Musk replied that the restrictions had been imposed because Ukraine violated the terms of use.
"The speed is now at the level we need. Restoration began overnight, and by this morning, speeds were already sufficient to use the connection," Zelenskyy said. Ukraine's armed forces said the satellite connection was stable; Zelenskyy thanked allies in the US for restoring a system key to air defence and frontline logistics.
"Ukrainian military violated Starlink's terms of use and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people," Musk wrote, according to TASS. Later he added that switching off Starlink would lead to the immediate collapse of the Ukrainian front: "This is not a threat, just a statement of fact." By his own caveat, his words should not be taken as a warning that the service would be stopped.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to Musk that mixing business with politics usually ends badly. Six former senior US officials told Reuters that the Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations repeatedly asked SpaceX over several years to switch Starlink on and off in various countries.
What it means: The communications on which command of Ukraine's forces relies have been restored, but Musk has made it clear that the restrictions were his decision and could recur if the terms are broken.
Who benefits: Ukraine gets back communications for air defence and logistics. SpaceX confirms that the company itself sets the terms of use. Musk's critics get an argument about the front's dependence on a single private supplier.
Background: Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet; Starshield is its version for military and government customers. Speed restrictions in Ukraine appeared in mid-October, and the parties argued for a long time over who had imposed them.
