Starlink still restricted for Ukraine despite Trump saying Musk lifted speed limits

Key Points:

• Ukrainian drone operators report that speed restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield service remain in place, limiting drone speeds to 140–160 km/h and causing connectivity losses above this threshold, despite claims by former President Trump that restrictions were lifted.
• Tests conducted by Ukrainian drone units show some improvement with intermittent connectivity at speeds up to 200 km/h, but signal drops still occur once drones exceed 160 km/h, affecting critical drone interception operations against Russian attacks.
• Elon Musk stated that the U.S. government controls Starshield, but officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the U.S. administration cannot direct SpaceX on service restrictions, as it is a private company.
• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy suggested the speed restrictions were a deliberate measure to limit Starshield's operational capabilities over Ukraine, with the government not initially informed about the reasons for the limitations.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that former President Trump contacted Musk to request lifting the restrictions, with Trump confirming Musk restored the service but declining to provide further details.