Starshield Restored in Ukraine After Speed Throttling Incident

Starshield, the military version of Starlink used by Ukraine, was throttled to block terminals traveling above certain speeds. This restriction caused Ukrainian interceptors to stop working at high speeds, leading to two reported deaths and at least 17 injuries. For a 10-day period, Ukrainian drones lost internet connectivity when flying at speeds of around 100 miles per hour. The Ukrainian military received no advance warning about the Starshield speed restriction.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the throttling was a direct message from the US. Reports emerged that Elon Musk suggested the slowdown tactic to President Trump, who then accepted it. In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed SpaceX has no control over Starshield and decisions are made by the US military. The White House denied taking action to throttle Starshield.

Elon Musk posted that Ukraine had violated Starlink terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. He stated that if Starlink were turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. President Donald Trump reportedly called Elon Musk to ask him to restore Starshield service. Starlink access was previously restricted in Ukraine in 2022 when coverage was not extended to cover a counterattack operation in Crimea.

Starshield appears to be working normally again in Ukraine after SpaceX lifted restrictions. Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara reported that Starshield is working normally again, though tests are still being conducted. SpaceX has built out a network of over 10,000 Starlink satellites currently in low Earth orbit, and its Falcon 9 is described as the most successful rocket in history.