Washington, 25 October (H.S.): Satellite internet speeds in Ukraine have returned to their previous levels after SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk acknowledged that his company had restricted the speed of its Starlink service, disrupting military operations on which Kyiv relies to defend itself against Russia.

According to a CBS News report, Musk made the admission on Saturday, October 24, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Starlink and Starshield satellite communications had been restored to their pre-restriction speeds. The limitations had disrupted frontline operations for more than a week, affecting military communications, logistics and drone missions.

Questions had persisted since last week over who had ordered the restrictions on the satellite internet system developed by Musk. Ukraine has relied heavily on the technology since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, using it to maintain communications and support military operations.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy confirmed that the services had returned to normal operating speeds. He said restoration efforts had begun overnight and that by Saturday morning, the connections had recovered sufficiently for operational use. He stressed that the development was particularly important for frontline logistics and for defending Ukraine against Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones.

Musk acknowledged that SpaceX had imposed the restrictions, arguing that Starlink was a civilian commercial service and was never intended to support offensive drone strikes designed to kill people.

“Starlink is a civilian commercial service,” Musk wrote on X, maintaining that its use for offensive drone attacks was unacceptable. He alleged that the Ukrainian military had violated the service’s terms and conditions by using the system to facilitate such strikes, adding that the loophole had been closed the previous week.

Before Musk’s admission, uncertainty had surrounded responsibility for the disruption. US President Donald Trump had said that he had not ordered the restrictions and that Musk should not be blamed for the episode.

Musk also stated that changes affecting Starshield were under the control of the US government. Starshield is SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications system, distinct from the commercially oriented Starlink service. It plays a significant role in Ukraine’s military communications infrastructure and drone operations.

Musk defended SpaceX’s contribution to Ukraine’s security since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, highlighting the role of satellite connectivity in maintaining communications under wartime conditions.

The restoration comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts by Washington to bring an end to the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume trilateral negotiations involving the United States and Ukraine next month, raising the prospect of further diplomatic engagement between the parties.

Separately, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on Friday to a localised ceasefire around Oleshky, a war-ravaged town in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. The arrangement was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and is intended to facilitate humanitarian access to the area.

The restoration of Starlink and Starshield operations marks a significant development for Ukraine’s battlefield communications, even as questions surrounding the restrictions underscore the country’s reliance on privately operated satellite infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar