Ukrainian drone units and the Ukrainian government claim that Star Shield connections are failing in most of Ukraine.
Posted by Philip Teresi, Checked
- Sources
- 3 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 88%
Philip TeresiOct 23, 2026
As of 2026-10-23, Ukrainian drone units and government officials said Starshield connections continued to fail in most of the country when drones flew above about 100 mph, which matches the claim. The claim is graded as of that date; Reuters reported on 2026-10-24 that service had been restored, a later change that does not affect the verdict.
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This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Out to Ukraine we go, where the Starlink system continues to experience low speeds. President Trump had said that he spoke with SpaceX chief Elon Musk and that Musk told him that the service had been restored, but Ukrainian drone units and the Ukrainian government say that connections with Star Shield, the military grade Starlink service, is continuing to fail in most of the country. When drones fly in excess of about a hundred miles an hour, units had been tested successfully at nearly a hundred and 50 miles an hour prior to the Star Shield slowdown. …
Philip Teresi · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The Wall Street Journal reported on 2026-10-23 that Ukrainian drone units and government officials said Starshield connections continued to fail in most of the country when drones flew faster than about 100 mph.[2]
Supports. Politico reported on 2026-10-23 that Ukrainian officials and drone operators said speed limits were still in place and connectivity losses were still being observed, despite Trump's statement that Musk had lifted them.[3]
Supports. The Kyiv Independent reported on 2026-10-23 that Ukraine's Starshield terminals were still experiencing severe problems, with multiple Ukrainian officials saying the speed limit was still in place.[4]
Context. Reuters reported on 2026-10-24 that Starlink and Starshield were fully functional again after Musk's statement, so the situation changed the day after the claim was made.[1]
Context. The claim matches the post's wording faithfully: the post itself attributes the 'most of the country' failure claim to Ukrainian drone units and the government, so no detail was added.
Sources
4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1Ukraine says Starshield back to normal, Musk says Kyiv violated termsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Ukraine Says Starlink Isn’t Working, Despite Trump’s Promise to Restore Itwsj.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 3Starlink still restricted for Ukraine despite Trump saying Musk lifted speed limitspolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4Analysis: Ukraine's Starshield access is still crippled, and ...kyivindependent.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Ukrainian officials and soldiers report that Starlink restrictions remain in place, limiting drone operations and battlefield communications.True
- Ukrainian officials reported a loss of connectivity to Star Shield and Starlink satellite services for a few days last week.True
- The Ukrainian army experienced a slowdown of the Starshield satellite system for over a week.True
- Ukrainian drone units were tested successfully at speeds of nearly 150 miles per hour prior to the Star Shield slowdown.Mixed
- Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Starlink service has not been fully restored in Ukraine.True