Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine
News Source
β’Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:46:34 +0000
π° What Happened
SpaceX appears to have lifted limits on Ukraine's military use of Starshield. That is the military version of its Starlink internet service. Ukraine's defence minister, Evgeniy Khmara, told reporters the system seems to be working normally again. He said testing is still going on and nobody has explained the restrictions. For 10 days, Ukrainian drones lost their connection at speeds around 100 miles per hour.
π The Backstory
The outage mattered because drone pilots rely on live video to steer. Some drones went out of control, while others flew slower and became easier targets. The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to restore the service. Mr Musk has said Ukraine broke Starlink's terms by using it for attack drones. He also posted that Ukraine's president had gone too far.
π― Why It Matters
Battlefield internet is now a bargaining chip. The episode shows how much one company's decision can shape a war.
SpaceX appears to have lifted limits on Ukraine's military use of Starshield. That is the military version of its Starlink internet service. Ukraine's defence minister, Evgeniy Khmara, told reporters the system seems to be working normally again. He said testing is still going on and nobody has explained the restrictions. For 10 days, Ukrainian drones lost their connection at speeds around 100 miles per hour.
The outage mattered because drone pilots rely on live video to steer. Some drones went out of control, while others flew slower and became easier targets. The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to restore the service. Mr Musk has said Ukraine broke Starlink's terms by using it for attack drones. He also posted that Ukraine's president had gone too far.
Battlefield internet is now a bargaining chip. The episode shows how much one company's decision can shape a war.