Starshield systems unlocked in Ukraine after uproar about military restrictions

Ukraine announced Saturday that it has regained full use of its Starshield system, more than a week after the military system appeared to be mysteriously restricted for use in the country.Starshield is the military version of Starlink, the communications satellite system developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, that Ukraine relies on to boost its drones and defense capabilities against Russia, as well as carry out strikes. About 10 days ago, the system started being restricted in Ukraine, even though it was working in other countries, according to officials.Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara over the weekend said the Starshield system is finally back up to full capacity. The development marks a breakthrough a day after President Donald Trump promised to get the issue “straightened out.” It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had begged SpaceX and Trump for help, saying the restrictions were placing Kyiv at immense disadvantage in the war. Both Musk and the U.S. government, which SpaceX says has full control over Starshield, denied responsibility for the debacle. “Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence monitoring systems are officially recording the restoration of Starlink/Starshield operating speeds,” the Ukrainian ministry said on Telegram.Ukraine said connectivity is now working on Starshield systems for speeds over about 250 miles per hour. When the restrictions were on, systems were cut off at about 100 miles per hour. Khmara on Saturday credited Zelensky’s diplomacy in Washington, D.C., for the restoration, saying it mattered most “for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications.”While Trump and Musk denied responsibility for locking down Starshield in Ukraine, questions were raised since the restrictions followed the White House’s public fallout with Zelensky. Multiple reports have indicated that Musk was behind the restrictions, while others credit Trump with the decision.The system was shuttered four days after Trump called for new leadership in Kyiv, contending that Zelensky is unable to agree to a peace deal ending the Russia-Ukraine war. It also came after Trump expressed outrage about Ukraine’s repeated strikes on Russian oil refineries, as the United States grapples with surging fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.VANCE ACCUSES MICROSOFT OF FRAUD AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLAMPS DOWN ON H-1B VISA ABUSETrump said Friday that if restrictions persisted, he would “get it straightened out.”“Elon will never ​do ⁠anything wrong. I know him very well. He’s a fair person, ​and you know it’s an unusual ​situation ⁠where they’re talking to a private company. But he’s not going to do anything that’s ⁠wrong,” ​Trump told reporters at the White House.