DOMINANT ANGLE
Budapest leans in favour of the terrain: the Hungarian press notes that, despite Trump's assurance, Ukrainian drones continue to malfunction and Starshield restrictions remain.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense cited by 444 based on the BBC, the drones lose connection at 161 km/h.
- 02
Trump, on Thursday according to HVG: "The key thing is that he restored access"; Ukrainian officials say the restrictions remain in effect.
- 03
Zelensky's advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov: "We are not currently seeing a lifting of Starlink's restrictions".
ANALYSIS
Budapest, October 23, 2026. Hungarian media outlets 444 and HVG initially treated the matter as a denial on the ground: despite Donald Trump's claims that Elon Musk has restored access, the connection remains unstable on the Ukrainian side.
444 reports, according to the BBC, that sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense say that drones lose contact as soon as they reach 161 km/h, which hinders military operations. The army continuously checks the functioning of Starlink and its military version, Starshield, but "there is currently no evidence" of a lifting of restrictions. The media outlet recalls that the network, consisting of approximately ten thousand satellites, ensures connection on the front line, real-time target observation, drone control, and communication between units.
Regarding responsibility, 444 notes that Musk denies any link with the slowdown, claims that Starshield is under the control of the US Army, and suggests that the Pentagon could be behind the limits, while the White House repeatedly denies having intentionally restricted the service. On Thursday, Trump refused to say whether he had called Musk: "The essential thing is that he restored it." The Wall Street Journal claims, however, that the President did speak to Musk and expressed his dissatisfaction, and that the system worked better afterwards.
HVG emphasizes the contrast with Kiev. Citing CNN, it writes that Trump asked Musk by phone to restore full access to Ukraine. On Friday morning, however, Ukrainian officials indicated that the limits were still in effect: they have been hindering fast military vehicles for over a week, complicating the use of interceptor drones against Russian attacks, and disrupting operations in several sectors. Zelensky's advisor, Serhiy Beskrestnov, states: "We do not currently see a lifting of Starlink's restrictions," attributing isolated cases of higher speeds to SpaceX's algorithm.
A second article by HVG, dated Thursday, relays Zelensky's statement: the standard speed has still not been restored. It adds a diplomatic aspect: the hope of a new exchange with Marco Rubio, the possibility of peace talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Florida on December 14 and 15, and cooperation on satellite communications discussed with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
Hungarian coverage remains focused on the concrete functioning of the service and the gap between the President's words and the Ukrainian findings, without dwelling on the congressional investigation or the Vance-Europeans dispute.
