Ukraine military reports ongoing Starlink disruptions despite promised restoration

Ukrainian forces are experiencing ongoing performance issues with the Starlink satellite network despite United States President Donald Trump stating that system restrictions had been removed. The Hill and the BBC both reported that Ukraine's military faced degraded connections on Friday, 23 October 2026. According to the BBC, sources inside the Ukrainian defence ministry confirmed that military drones suffered connection losses at speeds of 161 kilometers per hour, which continues to hamper field operations. [2][4]

The issues involve Starshield, the military-grade counterpart of Starlink owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk. The BBC and The New York Times reported that Donald Trump denied ordering Musk to restrict Ukraine's access, later stating on Thursday that Musk had reversed the limits. According to the BBC, Donald Trump added that if any further problems occurred, he would get them straightened out. [2][4][9]

The Atlantic Council reported that the Trump administration has taken an inconsistent approach toward Russia's war on Ukraine. According to the Atlantic Council, Donald Trump announced a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 9 October 2026, which was followed by actions that initially appeared to favour the Kremlin before recent moves suggested another shift in policy. [1]

On the ground, diplomatic and military developments continue across the conflict. Politico Europe reported that Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 270 prisoners of war, with Kyiv thanking the United States and the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the swap. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that both countries have scheduled additional talks for November in the United Arab Emirates. [6][12]