Updated

Ukrainian officials said Starlink and Starshield satellite terminals, throttled for about a week, were fully restored to pre-restriction speeds above 400 km/h by October 24, 2026, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara and President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The slowdown reportedly hampered Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian jet-powered Shahed drones and forced the cancellation of some military operations. The episode triggered a wave of political pressure in the West: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who called on Elon Musk to stop mixing business with politics, all pressed Washington to guarantee Ukraine's access, while a bipartisan group of US senators threatened to block Trump administration nominee confirmations until full Starshield functionality was restored. Elon Musk claimed Ukraine had violated Starlink's terms of service, an accusation Kyiv disputed as it confirmed speeds had returned to normal.