Brief
Zelensky says Ukraine’s military Starlink service still throttled
Zelensky told EU leaders the Starlink‑derived Starshield service has not returned to full speed, citing White House signals of restoration.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the military‑grade Starlink service, known as Starshield, has not yet been fully restored, after reports that the throttling order originated inside the White House.
What happened
Zelensky made the remarks on Friday after meeting European leaders in Brussels. He said his defence ministry received signals that the United States would restore the capabilities, but the service had not returned to its previous speed limits. The president described the reduced speeds as a "very dangerous and unpleasant surprise" that hampers Ukraine’s air‑defence drones.
What the reports add
The Guardian notes that Reuters reported two US officials and a western source said the throttling order came from within the White House, though no official was named. The same outlet adds that the Pentagon was told the Starshield service for Ukraine had to be slowed.
What was said
"Our defence ministry is in touch and my partners, they told me that there were signals from the White House that they would return these capabilities," Zelensky told EU leaders, according to the article.
"Have they returned to the previous speed limits? No. But is it coming back now? Yes," he added.
Former US President Donald Trump, speaking to Newsmax, called Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian oil refineries "a disgrace" and blamed Zelensky for higher world oil prices.
How it came about
Earlier this week, Felo News reported that UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the United States had assured that Starlink service for Ukraine was restored, while other Felo pieces documented overnight speed caps on military‑grade Starlink terminals that halted drone operations above 100 mph. Elon Musk has said the limits are set by the US government, not SpaceX.
Key facts
- Zelensky said Starshield speeds have not returned to previous limits (theguardian.com)
- Reuters reported the throttling order came from inside the White House (theguardian.com)
- Trump criticised Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries as a "disgrace" (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “Starlink access still not fully restored for Ukraine’s military, says Zelenskyy”
