Ukraine says Starlink speeds restored as Elon Musk admits SpaceX throttled service over drone strikes

Updated on: October 24, 2026 / 5:23 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on to defend itself against Russia.

Musk's admission on social media came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week.

Questions have persisted since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Musk-made satellite internet system that Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow's attacks.

"The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and were sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

Before Musk's confirmation, questions persisted last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Musk-made satellite internet system that Ukraine has relied on for years to counter Moscow's attacks.

President Trump had said he didn't make the call, while also saying Musk should not be blamed. On Tuesday, CBS News reported that Musk was behind the disruption.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/