Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump claims Kyiv’s Starlink access has been restored but bats away Musk question

Read the original at The Independent ↗
Cite

Singh, N. (2026, October 23). Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump claims Kyiv’s Starlink access has been restored but bats away Musk question. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-trump-musk-zelensky-starlink-b3071932.html

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Independent · collected 2026-10-23 · by Namita Singh

Quick Summary

US President Donald Trump claimed that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s Starlink satellite internet service, which is crucial for military operations. However, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and other sources reported no change in the system's performance. Trump declined to confirm whether he personally called Musk about restoring the service, stating only that "the bottom line - he put it back." Meanwhile, Zelensky warned of Russia potentially intensifying its war efforts due to perceived easing pressure from international partners.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-23, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

As of October 23, 2026, Donald Trump stated that Elon Musk has restored Ukraine's access to SpaceX’s military-grade satellite service called Starshield, which is crucial for battlefield communications and drone operations. Despite earlier reports suggesting varying levels of restriction, Trump emphasized that the system is now running at full speed, although Ukrainian officials reported it was still capped at around 100 mph (160 kph) as recently as October 22. Trump called Musk to ask him to lift any restrictions on Ukraine's use of Starlink, a civilian satellite service also provided by SpaceX. The decision to throttle Starshield, which began affecting Ukraine’s military capabilities last week, has led to confusion and conflicting reports about responsibility among US officials, including claims from Musk that he was following orders from the Pentagon or POTUS (President of the United States). Rep. Dan Crenshaw and other lawmakers are calling for full restoration of Ukraine's access to SpaceX satellite services. The situation highlights tensions between private tech companies' autonomy and national security interests during wartime.

Written for “Trump And Musk On Ukraine Satellite Access” on 2026-10-23, grounded in this article and the 11 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 101013 · logged 2026-10-23

Story

📰 Trump And Musk On Ukraine Satellite Access
Politics · 12 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 16% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Hindu
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 14% hedged 1 of 7 📰 publisher trust 77
“Both articles describe Donald Trump's comments regarding the restoration of Starshield/Starlink in Ukraine and his refusal to confirm if he contacted Elon Musk about it.”
Al Jazeera · 0.92 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 16% hedged 4 of 25 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles describe Trump claiming that Musk restored Starlink access for Ukraine during a press event on the same day.”
BBC News · 0.89 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 10% hedged 2 of 21 📰 publisher trust 69
“Both articles discuss Trump claiming that Musk has restored Ukraine's internet access through Starlink during a specific timeframe when Ukrainian officials stated otherwise.”
CBS News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 5% hedged 1 of 20 📰 publisher trust 66
“The articles cover related events but different time periods and contexts regarding Starlink disruptions in Ukraine.”
The Independent
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 14% hedged 4 of 28 📰 publisher trust 59
“The articles describe different stages of the Starlink access situation for Ukraine, with one reporting a slowdown and the other a claim of restoration.”
Daily Mail
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 6% hedged 1 of 17 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles describe different phases of an ongoing situation involving Starlink services for Ukraine: Article A reports Musk reducing service, while Article B discusses Trump's claim that access has been restored.”
The Straits Times
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 17% hedged 1 of 6 📰 publisher trust 68
“Both articles report on President Trump asking Elon Musk to lift restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink service and discuss subsequent claims regarding the restoration of service, referring to the same conversation and timing.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 22% hedged 2 of 9 📰 publisher trust 66
“Both articles describe Trump's interaction with Musk regarding Starlink service for Ukraine, happening around the same time and involving similar claims.”
The Straits Times
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 18% hedged 3 of 17 📰 publisher trust 68
“Both articles discuss President Trump's involvement in asking Elon Musk to lift Starlink restrictions for Ukraine and the subsequent restoration of access on Oct 22, 2026.”
National Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 11% hedged 1 of 9 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles describe Trump stating that Starshield/Starlink access is 'back' in Ukraine, refusing to comment on whether he personally requested it from Elon Musk, and mentioning Musk's role.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
45
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
16%
7 of 45 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
12
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Independent · 2897 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Namita Singh
23 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Such attacks could wreck supply chains or make businesses’ payment systems fail, he said, while natural risks such as flooding and wildfires also pose a threat.
🔮 Providing an update to the media on behalf of their family, he said her road to “recovery will be long and difficult, but we know she is fighter.”
🔮 According to Mayo Clinic, it is characterised by motor issues, sensory changes, as well as autonomic dysfunction.
🔮 “There was a deliberate act, it would appear.
🔮 Asked whether he would meet Putin and Xi without Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said he would do "anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody is there or not".
🔮 Before losing her job, she had been expected to travel to China with Mr Trump next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.
🔮 “This Act could have helped enormously – and still can!
🔮 British troops to take part in major Ukraine-facing wargame next month British troops are set to take part in a major wargame in Poland.
🔮 During the interview, Mr Zelensky also voiced concerns over restrictions on the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink services in Ukraine, saying the move “will bring a lot of human losses”.
🔮 “Delta will review the complaint and respond accordingly in due course," it added.
Also by Namita Singh
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 23 articles by Namita Singh →

Topics

Russia SpaceX Starlink Ukraine Ukrainian

Subjects

Ukraine GPE · 11× Starlink ORG · 7× Trump PERSON · 7× Russia GPE · 4× Ukrainian NORP · 4× Musk PERSON · 3× Volodymyr Zelensky PERSON · 3× Zelensky PERSON · 3× Donald Trump PERSON · 2× SpaceX ORG · 2×

Narrative

Putin says eastern Ukraine's land is historically Russian Vladimir Putin has said that the territories in eastern Ukraine claimed by Moscow were “historically Russian land” in comments made on Thursday. He said any future trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine should focus on security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine, adding broader European security issues should also be discussed. Poland detains second suspect in murder of Russian artist who criticised Putin Polish authorities have detained a second suspect in the June murder of a Russian artist who had criticized President Vladimir Putin, secret service chief Tomasz Siemoniak said on Thursday.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-23
🔮 Such attacks could wreck supply chains or make businesses’ payment systems fail, he said, while natural risks such as flooding and wildfires also pose a threat.

Claims (45 extracted, 7 hedged)

US president Donald Trump claims SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has restored Ukraine's Starlink access, even as Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian sources said there had been no change in satellite internet speeds. uncertain
Zelensky → claim → speeds
Trump refused to confirm reports that he had called Musk to ask him to restore the service for Ukraine's military, saying: "I don't want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called ... asserted
somebody → refuse → it
The bottom line - he put it back." asserted
he → put → it
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin now believes his maximalist war goals – which include capturing four Ukrainian regions in their entirety – are within reach. asserted
which → warn → reach
“Russia is clearly taking advantage of the slowdown in air defence supplies from our partners,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X on Thursday. asserted
Zelensky → take → Thursday
“It is equally clear that when some partners ease the pressure on Russia, it only reinforces Putin's belief that his goals are within reach. asserted
goals → ease → reach
We need different signals and different steps – stronger ones.” asserted
We → need → signals
Speaking a day after meeting Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin insisted that Russia was not preparing for war with Europe and that trilateral talks should be about ensuring the future security of both countries. Starlink access to Ukraine 'restored', claims Trump US president Donald Trump said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine's Starlink access, one of the issues linked to a rift between Washington and Kyiv that has cast doubt on US support for Ukraine. uncertain
that → speak → Ukraine
Trump, in comments on Starlink, declined to say whether he had spoken to Musk about restoring the service for Ukraine. asserted
he → decline → Ukraine
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use. "I don't want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called ... asserted
somebody → report → it
The bottom line - he put it back," Trump told reporters. asserted
Trump → put → reporters
Ukraine uses Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. asserted
Ukraine → use → communications
Restricting the service hampered the country's attack and air defence drone missions against Russia. asserted
Restricting → restrict → Russia
Speaking earlier alongside Finland's prime minister, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said speed on Starlink systems had not been restored for Ukraine. asserted
speed → speak → Ukraine
"We are tackling that," Zelensky said, adding he hoped to discuss the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. asserted
he → tackle → Rubio
A person familiar with the Starlink issue said the problem was continuing, with the same curbs largely remaining in place. asserted
curbs → say → place
Some drone units report reaching speeds of 200kmph (125mph) with drones but otherwise the picture was unchanged, he said. asserted
he → report → drones
“The main problem is that we have no official explanation what's going on," he said. asserted
he → have → explanation
Prepare for ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ and cyber attacks to cause food shortages, Streeting warns Britons should prepare for food shortages if “state-sponsored terrorism” disrupts everyday life, the defence secretary has said in a stark new warning on the “real” threats facing the UK. asserted
secretary → prepare → UK
People need to start to stockpile food, water, medicine and wind-up radios, Wes Streeting said, raising the spectre of hostile powers launching cyber attacks on key infrastructure. asserted
powers → need → infrastructure
Such attacks could wreck supply chains or make businesses’ payment systems fail, he said, while natural risks such as flooding and wildfires also pose a threat. uncertain
risks → wreck → threat
Zelensky says he will speak to Rubio in coming days Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he will speak to secretary of state Marco Rubio in the coming days. Tensions have escalated between Ukraine and the US after a series of public comments. asserted
Tensions → say → comments
Ukraine had reported having its US-assisted military intelligence restricted, claims that Rubio had called “scandalous”. uncertain
Rubio → report → that
US-brokered trilateral agreements are reportedly set to take place in order to rekindle negotiations, which have stalled since the war in Iran. uncertain
which → broker → Iran
Trump declines to say if he spoke to Musk about Starlink Donald Trump has said that Elon Musk has restored Ukraine's Starlink access but declined to comment when asked whether he had spoken to the billionaire about the matter. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Thursday that Trump had called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Starlink. asserted
Trump → decline → Starlink
“I don't want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn't make any difference, I guess. asserted
I → want → difference
The bottom line - he put it back,” Trump told reporters when asked if he spoke to Musk. asserted
he → put → Musk
Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Thursday that fully function of SpaceX’s military-grade system had not been restored. asserted
function → say → system
Finnish PM says no gas deals should be made with Russia during war Finland's prime minister Petteri Orpo has said that no deals should be made to buy gas from Russia during the country’s war with Ukraine, in comments made on Thursday. asserted
deals → say → Thursday
The leader was visiting Kyiv for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. asserted
leader → visit → Zelensky
They told a joint press conference that they had discussed opportunities to cooperate on satellite communication, energy and logistics. asserted
they → tell → communication
Finland stopped receiving Russian pipeline gas in May 2022 after refusing Russia's demand to pay in roubles, and completely ended Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in July 2024 under EU sanctions. Watch: uncertain
Finland → stop → sanctions
attack damages shopping center and residential buildings in Ukraine’s Rivne region asserted
attack → damage → region
Trump says Musk restored Ukraine's Starlink access, declines to say if they spoke President Donald Trump on Thursday told reporters that Elon Musk had restored Ukraine's Starlink access but declined to comment when asked whether he had spoken to Musk about the matter. asserted
he → say → matter
However, Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that full functionality of SpaceX’s Starshield programme had not yet been restored in an interview with CNN. asserted
functionality → say → CNN
Downing Street rejects American description of Vladimir Putin as ‘humanitarian’ asserted
Street → reject → Putin
Downing Street has rejected the characterisation of Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” made by Donald Trump’s chief negotiator on the Ukraine war. asserted
Street → reject → war
Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, made the remark as he met with the Russian leader this week. asserted
he → make → leader
It comes as the US president has made a new push to end the Ukraine war, and is putting pressure on Kyiv to agree to a settlement. asserted
president → come → settlement
No 10 suggested the Government was wholly at odds with the description of Mr Putin. uncertain
Government → suggest → Putin
…and 5 more, not listed.
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