Ukraine is now counting on European allies, Canada and Britain rather than Washington for satellite capability, after a week of disruption to the US-supplied Starlink and Starshield services, France 24 correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze told Irish broadcaster Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show in a report published on 18 October. Her comments followed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement at the EU summit that Ukraine still cannot use its interceptor systems against Russian drones because of speed restrictions on Starshield, described by AOL as an upgraded military version of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet network.
Key facts
- Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine cannot use Starlink or Starshield on its own territory to shoot down jet-powered Shaheds, and that aircraft and other air defences are being used instead, according to AOL.
- He said the service works in Ukraine up to 161 km/h and then shuts off in the second minute, while in the EU it runs at 180-plus and works constantly, costing Ukraine both drones and connectivity.
- Ukrainian officials were told the restrictions were linked to technical issues.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no one ordered the Starlink slowdown, that it was not deliberate, and that his understanding is the service has been restored.
- Ukraine paid the United States to use the Starlink system in the war with Russia, Newstalk reported; neither Newstalk nor AOL gives a price, a per-terminal rate or a contract value.
Why it matters
Starshield is essential to Ukraine’s armed forces because it lets personnel communicate and carry out strikes, including by maintaining contact with drones across long distances, AOL reported. With that capability restricted, Zelenskyy said on Friday that people had been left vulnerable to Russian drones, calling the situation very painful and frustrating.
What Ukraine says is happening
Speaking in an online group chat with reporters at the EU summit, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is in dialogue with US counterparts at military, defence ministry and diplomatic level, as well as with SpaceX, but is getting no answers. He also said Starlink appears to be operating at higher speeds on European Union territory, which he tested there, and argued the only way such a restriction could be in place is if the US military and President Donald Trump had set it, according to Newstalk.
Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to the United States, told CBS News that Kyiv had received no response from the Pentagon or SpaceX, including no confirmation that unlimited speeds were back or that Starshield was operating as before, AOL reported. On that basis, he said Ukraine cannot confirm full restoration, and Zelenskyy has said the speeds are still not fully restored.
Washington and SpaceX push back
Marco Rubio
Rubio, asked about the situation on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews, said Starshield is a defence product used by the United States military and is not available to Ukraine at this moment, adding that the matter is under discussion. He denied that the US government was responsible for the outage and alleged Ukraine’s military has only ever used Starlink, never Starshield, calling them two different products — Starshield being the military tier of SpaceX’s network. He also questioned whether Zelenskyy knew what he was talking about.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence
Sources in the ministry told CBS News that SpaceX had unilaterally imposed the Starshield restrictions, per AOL — an account that cuts against Rubio’s.
Elon Musk
Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and, ultimately, the president.
Donald Trump
Trump told reporters on Friday that he had not limited Ukraine’s access and did not believe Musk had either, saying his understanding was that the service is the same as it has always been.
Looking past Washington
Chaze told Newstalk that the episode shows the United States is not respecting contracts it signed with Ukraine, and that Kyiv’s hope is still that Starshield will be reactivated. In the meantime, she said, Zelenskyy has highlighted that EU allies are trying to develop satellite systems equivalent to Starlink and Starshield, to wean Ukraine off its dependence for intelligence, front-line communications and interception.
“So Ukrainians right now, they’re more counting on their other allies, EU allies, Canada, for example, Great Britain,” Chaze said on Newstalk, adding that they are not counting on the American ally as much any more. Neither source gives a timeline, cost or capability for those European systems, and reporting to date has indicated Europe has no ready substitute for Starlink.
Background to the row
Newstalk notes that tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have been high since their meeting in Washington in early 2025. AOL reported that Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Zelenskyy in recent days, blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for high global energy prices, and that in a Newsmax interview late on Thursday he described the Ukrainian leader as not a good person for the US to deal with, called Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries a disgrace, and said Zelenskyy is harder to deal with than Vladimir Putin.
Trump also said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to stop striking each other’s energy infrastructure, announcing an energy ceasefire over the weekend, AOL reported. Zelenskyy initially said Ukraine was willing to abide by such an agreement but that Russian strikes never stopped, and days later told the Financial Times that Ukraine would no longer hold off on striking Russian refineries. The Russian government never confirmed it had agreed to a ceasefire.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ukraine first notice the Starlink and Starshield problems?
Ukrainian officials and soldiers told CBS News that the military began having sudden difficulties with Starshield equipment late on Tuesday, according to the report carried by AOL.
Why does Ukraine want access to Starshield specifically?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ukraine has asked for Starshield access in order to conduct deep strikes inside Russia, according to AOL’s report, and that the request is under discussion.
How much does Ukraine pay for Starlink?
Newstalk reported only that Ukraine paid the United States to use the Starlink system in the war with Russia. Neither Newstalk nor AOL publishes a price, a per-terminal rate or a contract value, so the commercial terms of the arrangement are not on the public record in this reporting.
What did Russia strike in Ukraine on Saturday?
Zelenskyy said Russia carried out a large attack on Ukraine’s energy sector on Saturday, targeting more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities across the country, AOL reported.
Has the United States eased sanctions on Russia during this dispute?
The Trump administration waived restrictions on buying Russian diesel last week, AOL reported. Zelenskyy called the move “unfortunate”, said he believes more sanctions will be lifted and argued the diesel deal is only the first step.
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