Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Starlink service has not been fully restored in Ukraine.
Posted by Philip Teresi, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support3 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
Philip TeresiOct 23, 2026
As of 2026-10-23, Zelensky did say Starlink speeds had not been fully restored: The Hill reports he said on Friday that the speed limits were still in place, and ABC News quotes him on Oct. 23 saying the network was still not fully working. The restoration Zelensky announced came on Oct.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Now, while the system appears to be working more normally, the Ukrainian military is still reporting failing connections at higher speeds, and Zelensky said definitively today, service has not been fully restored. Now, when President Trump was asked by reporters today if indeed Elon Musk had followed through, his response was, quote, "I've heard it was fixed, but if not, I will speak to him." …
Philip Teresi · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The Hill (Oct. 23) quotes Zelensky on Friday: 'The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there, and the speed has not been restored.'[3]
Supports. ABC News (Oct. 23) reports Zelensky told it that the Starlink network is still not fully working, saying 'It works, but it's still limited.'[4]
Supports. Earlier statements from Zelensky, reported by Naharnet (Oct. 16) and Kyiv Independent (Oct. 17), say speed caps remained in place, showing the same position was held across the week before the claim.[5][6]
Context. Zelensky announced full restoration on Oct. 24, and Musk said he had throttled service; these later developments do not change the state of affairs on Oct. 23.[1][2][7]
Sources
7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 1, 3 not rated, 1 tier 2
- 1Ukraine says Starlink speed limits lifted after a slowdown that hobbled its dronesapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Ukraine says Starshield back to normal, Musk says Kyiv violated termsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Volodymyr Zelensky: Ukraine's Starlink service slow despite ...thehill.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 4'It's not supportive': Ukraine's Zelenskyy laments lack of US ...abcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Zelensky says Starlink speed not yet fully restored in Ukrainenaharnet.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6'Planned operation' — Zelensky confirms Ukraine's Starlink ...kyivindependent.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Musk says SpaceX did restrict Starlink, as Ukraine ...npr.org · tier 2 · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Donald Trump stated that Starlink access has been restored in Ukraine.True
- Sirai Ah Bereskovinov, defense technology advisor to Zelensky, stated that there has been no lifting of restrictions on Starlink.True
- 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
- Donald Trump stated he spoke with Elon Musk and that Musk told him Starlink service had been restored in Ukraine.Mixed