Ukraine is still experiencing problems with the Starlink satellite network despite US President Donald Trump saying that Elon Musk had reversed restrictions on the service, sources within Ukraine’s defence ministry have told the BBC.

The sources said the military was continuing to record cases of drones losing connectivity at speeds of 161km/h (100mph), disrupting military operations.

Trump had denied instructing the tech billionaire to restrict connectivity to Starshield, Starlink’s military-grade counterpart, before saying on Thursday that Musk had “put it back”.

Musk had earlier denied responsibility for the slowdown, which affected Ukraine’s ability to operate attack drones and coordinate defensive operations.

Sources in Ukraine’s defence ministry said the military was continuously monitoring the performance of both Starlink and Starshield networks, adding that there was “currently no confirmation that these restrictions have been lifted”.

Last week, Kyiv said uplink speeds to the low Earth orbit satellites had been restricted, affecting the speed at which drones could travel. Ukrainian officials said any drone travelling faster than 100mph would lose its connection.

Musk subsequently said Starshield, which Ukraine uses for some military operations, was controlled by the US military and suggested that the Pentagon could be responsible for the problems.

The White House has repeatedly denied deliberately restricting the network in Ukraine.

Asked on Thursday about reports that he had contacted Musk to request the restoration of the service, Trump declined to say whether such a conversation had taken place but said: “Bottom line, he put it back.”

Ukraine uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield network, depending on its communication needs.

The networks rely on thousands of satellites to provide connectivity, particularly in remote areas and on the battlefield. Starshield enables Ukrainian drone operators to monitor targets in real time and operate interceptor drones.

Russia is not authorised to use Starlink. As a result, the network does not operate when Ukraine launches long-range missiles deep into Russian territory to strike targets such as oil refineries.

Reports of the slowdown emerged during a tense diplomatic dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.

With US midterm elections approaching next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market, moves criticised by Ukraine and its European allies.

Trump has argued that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Kyiv says are crucial to cutting Moscow’s main source of revenue for its war effort, have driven up global prices.

Although the attacks have affected global fuel prices, increases recorded this year have primarily been attributed to the war involving Iran.

Zelensky also said the US had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing if Ukraine did not halt the strikes, a claim Trump later denied.

The dispute triggered a war of words between the two leaders, with Trump suggesting Ukraine needed a new president and Zelensky implying that Trump was not a genuine leader.

Earlier on Thursday, before Trump’s comments, Zelensky said the network’s speed had not yet been fully restored.

“I am waiting to hear from US Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio. He promised to get back to me with information within 48 hours or so,” Zelensky said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had told Musk he was frustrated that Starlink speeds remained restricted and that the service had returned closer to normal following their conversation.