Starlink restrictions on Ukrainian military drones appear lifted after 10-day disruption

Ukraine’s defense minister said Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade Starlink service, appears to be working normally again, though the military is still testing it and has received no explanation for the restrictions. For 10 days, drones traveling around 100 mph lost connectivity, disrupting control of some drones; the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump asked Elon Musk to restore service.

The disruption shows how a connectivity restriction can affect drone control and flight speed, so Ukrainian planners may need to account for Starshield availability in operations. But service is only reported as restored, and ongoing tests plus the lack of an explanation leave the reliability and cause of the restrictions unclear.