Trump asked Musk to lift limits on Ukraine's military Starlink service

U.S. President Donald Trump called Elon Musk, whose company operates the Starlink satellite communications service, and asked him to lift restrictions on the military version of the system used by Ukraine's armed forces in the war with Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported this, citing its sources. According to U.S. and Ukrainian officials, the system began working "more normally" shortly after the conversation.

A speed cap hampered drone operations

The newspaper's sources said Trump voiced frustration that the system still had a speed limit of about 160 kilometers per hour. The restriction had left some Ukrainian attack drones and interceptor drones ineffective against Russian attacks.

The conversation between Trump and Musk took place after the paper published a report saying Musk himself had ordered the restrictions on Starlink in Ukraine.

Front-line commanders confirm the change

Oliver Carroll, a journalist for The Economist, wrote that Ukrainian drone commanders on the front line say the restrictions have been lifted. They are still running tests, but "this looks to be the case," he wrote.

On October 14, the Ukrainian military reported running into restrictions on Starlink satellite communications terminals, specifically their military version, Starshield. Drones lost their connection when flying faster than 160 kilometers per hour.

The source does not say whether the restrictions have been fully removed; commanders are still checking how the system performs.