Ukraine continues to experience difficulties with the Starshield military communications service, despite recent statements by US President Donald Trump asserting that access had been restored. Ukrainian defense officials reported ongoing "instances of signal loss" on the satellite network, with no confirmation that previously imposed restrictions have been fully lifted.
The situation came to public attention after Trump declared Thursday that the Starshield service was "back" online. The announcement followed a Wall Street Journal report indicating that Trump had personally asked Elon Musk, whose SpaceX company operates Starshield, to restore the service deemed critical for Ukrainian military operations. However, the Journal also reported that Musk had previously limited connection speeds for Ukrainian equipment on the system, which affected the functionality of certain Ukrainian drones.
Musk has stated that any usage limits on the Starshield network are determined by the US military and ultimately by the President of the United States. Despite this, Pentagon spokesperson Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier this week that the Department of Defense had not authorized any changes to Starshield, and Trump himself denied having directed such restrictions.
Ukraine, which relies on Starshield—a military-grade satellite service separate from SpaceX’s civilian Starlink network—for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes in territories occupied by Russian forces, and command of interceptor drones, views uninterrupted access to the system as vital to countering Moscow's invasion.
The reported restrictions emerged shortly after Trump publicly criticized Ukraine and urged it to cease targeting Russian oil refineries. This criticism has contributed to increased tensions in US-Ukraine relations, with Trump recently calling for the replacement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The heightened tensions coincide with Zelensky's opposition to a US agreement that relaxed certain sanctions, allowing greater imports of Russian diesel into global markets.
When questioned about Ukraine’s ongoing problems with Starshield, Trump said he would speak with Musk if the issues persisted, stating, "I've heard it was fixed, but if it’s not, I’ll speak to him."
As of now, the Ukrainian defense ministry continues to seek confirmation that all restrictions have been lifted, while the broader diplomatic and military implications of this disruption remain a concern amid the ongoing conflict.