Defense Ministry monitoring systems recorded Starshield operating steadily on the morning of October 24, Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara told the 24 Channel. "The connection is stable. This is another example of how direct dialogue and the persistent position of the president of Ukraine at the highest level produce results," Khmara said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Servicemen in several units confirmed the restrictions had been removed, said Serhiy Sternenko, a volunteer who supplies drones to the Ukrainian army.
The problems began overnight on October 14. Reuters reported that Starshield terminals lost their connection while moving at high speed, complicating the use of strike and interceptor drones as well as reconnaissance and logistics tasks.
As late as the evening of October 23, Volodymyr Zelensky said the restrictions were still in place despite US President Donald Trump's statement that full access had been restored. According to Zelensky, the connection dropped at speeds of around 161 km/h.
On October 22, Trump said Elon Musk had already lifted the limits. The SpaceX founder wrote on X that restrictions on Starshield are set by the US military or the president, since the system belongs to the US government.
Reuters sources said the order came from the White House. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that Trump held a phone call with Musk and urged him to lift the speed limits on Starshield. Satellite communications began working more reliably shortly after the contact.
The New York Times reported that a bipartisan group of senators warned the White House they would withhold votes on confirming nominees until the Trump administration ensured the restoration of the communications equipment used by Ukrainian forces. Members of Congress also urged Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to extend Ukraine's contract under the Starshield program.
Against the backdrop of the Starlink problems, Ukraine began work on an alternative satellite communications system. On October 22, the country's Defense Ministry signed a letter of intent with the Finnish technology companies ICEYE and Nokia.