Trump Says Musk Restored Ukraine’s Starlink Access Amid Russia War
Source reports published 23 Oct 2026, 7:42 am – 3:37 pm AEST
Following reports of restrictions, Elon Musk restored Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a satellite internet service crucial for its military operations. The restoration followed a reported call from Donald Trump to Musk, amidst ongoing tensions and accusations regarding access limitations.
What happened
- Donald Trump stated that Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a satellite internet service used by Kyiv’s armed forces.
- This followed reports from The Wall Street Journal that Trump had called Musk and instructed him to end restrictions on Ukraine’s connection.
- Trump declined to comment on the specifics of the call, stating, "I don’t want to comment on it, you know, whether I called or whether somebody else called — doesn’t make any difference."
- He added, "I guess the bottom line, he put it back."
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Starlink services returned to normal following the call.
- Earlier, Ukrainian officials had announced that sudden restrictions on Starlink services had left the country’s military scrambling.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that decisions about Starlink’s speed and access belong to Musk.
- Musk, however, maintained that Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, is "owned and controlled by the US government."
- The incident occurred amid ongoing tensions between the US and Ukraine, with Trump previously criticizing Zelenskyy’s attacks on Russian oil refineries.
- The matter is currently under inquiry by US Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Original reporting
- BBC: Trump says Musk has restored access to Ukraine's Starlink network
2026-10-22T21:42:39.799000+00:00 - Guardian: Trump, Musk, Zelenskyy: who is blaming who in the Ukraine-Starlink row?
2026-10-23T00:00:00+00:00 - Al Jazeera: Trump says Musk restored Ukraine’s Starlink access amid Russia war
2026-10-23T00:00:00+00:00 - Deutsche Welle: Musk's Starshield system 'back' in Ukraine, says Trump
2026-10-23T05:37:53.601000+00:00