US President Donald Trump called SpaceX founder Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift speed restrictions imposed on a military communications system used by Ukraine, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The restrictions concern Starshield, a military communications service based on the Starlink satellite network. Trump was reportedly frustrated that connections used in Ukraine were still subject to a speed limit of around 160 kilometres per hour.
The restriction has hampered Ukrainian drone operations, with connections cutting out or weakening on fast-moving unmanned aircraft. The problem has affected, among other systems, interceptor drones designed to counter Russian attack drones.
US and Ukrainian officials said the system began operating more normally shortly after the conversation between Trump and Musk. Some Ukrainian sources reported that connections were working at higher speeds than before, although full functionality had not yet been restored.
Trump was asked on Thursday about the Wall Street Journal report and his call with Musk. He declined to confirm the details of their conversation.
“The bottom line is he put it back,” Trump said.
Conflicting reports from the front line
Ukrainian forces have reported signs that the restrictions may have been eased.
The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll said drone commanders believed the speed limit may have been lifted. Units were, however, continuing to test the system.
The situation does not appear to be uniform across the front. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was still unclear whether the restrictions had been removed across all units. Ukraine is awaiting clarification from the United States.
Military analyst Michael Kofman initially said early indications suggested that the speed limit had been lifted. He later clarified that Starshield still appeared to be operating inconsistently.
According to Kofman, some units were continuing to experience connection dropouts at speeds above 160 kilometres per hour.
The unexpected Starshield speed restrictions emerged in Ukraine on October 14. Ukrainian forces were forced to cancel missions after connections failed on fast-moving reconnaissance, interceptor and attack drones.
As recently as October 19–20, Ukrainian officials said a speed limit of around 160 kilometres per hour remained in effect. Kofman said that in practice the connection could become unstable at speeds of around 130 kilometres per hour.
Responsibility for imposing the restrictions has become a source of controversy in Washington.
Musk previously said the military-grade Starshield system was under US government control and that restrictions on its use were decided by the US military and ultimately the president. The Wall Street Journal, however, reported that Musk himself had ordered the speed restrictions.
SpaceX has not commented on the latest reports. Ukrainian forces are continuing to test the system to determine whether the restrictions have been fully removed or merely eased.