Trump Urges Musk to Restore Full Satellite Internet Access for Ukrainian Drones

US President Donald Trump spoke with billionaire Elon Musk last week to request the full restoration of Ukraine's access to the Starshield satellite communications network. The outreach followed reports from Ukrainian officials that high-speed military drones were suddenly losing their connection mid-flight, disrupting operations against Russian forces.

Official Reactions

When asked about the phone call, Trump declined to confirm or deny it, noting only that the service was put back. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the government cannot direct a private company and denied that the administration requested any limits, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Rubio mentioned the State Department was working to unblock the connection. Musk previously claimed that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government and that speed or usage limits are decided by the military and the president.

Operational Impact

Ukrainian commanders discovered that drones flying faster than 100 mph were losing connection and dropping out of the sky starting in mid-October. The sudden limits hampered front-line troop movements and reduced the ability to intercept fast-moving Russian drones targeting cities like Kyiv. Russian troops reportedly used the gap in drone surveillance to move more freely along certain routes.

Context

Starshield is the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet, offering high-level encryption and secure transmission for government partners. Ukraine relies heavily on this network to coordinate battlefield defenses and operate drones following widespread damage to its local communications infrastructure since the 2022 Russian invasion.