Ukraine Confirms Starlink Speeds Restored

Ukraine’s military satellite connectivity has returned to full capacity, according to Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara. He announced on Saturday that the network is stable after several days of restrictions that hampered operations. Khmara stated that speeds above 400km/h are now possible, a metric he identified as the benchmark for full capability.

The speed cap was a key indicator of the network’s status. For the past few days, drones reportedly lost connection when they traveled at 161km/h or faster. That limit forced the military to adjust its tactics for logistics and communications. Khmara emphasized that the restoration is vital for the front lines, specifically for drone operations and troop coordination.

The dispute traces back to last week, when Ukrainian officials accused President Donald Trump of instructing Elon Musk to impose the limits. Trump initially denied giving such an order. He later commented that Musk had put the service back. Kyiv relies heavily on both the civilian Starlink service and the military-grade Starshield system to pilot drones across the battlefield.

Musk has noted that Starshield is controlled by the US military. He suggested the Pentagon may be involved in the recent connectivity issues. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, which creates a blind spot when Ukraine launches long-range attacks deep into Russian territory. The network does not function in those specific zones.

The technical dispute coincided with diplomatic friction between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky. The row centered on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. With midterm elections approaching next month, Trump waived certain sanctions and agreed to import Russian diesel. Ukrainian and European allies criticized that move, arguing the strikes were necessary to cut off Moscow’s war funding.

Zelensky claimed the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes continued. Trump denied that threat. The conflict on the ground intensified during the connectivity issues. Russia’s defence ministry reported on Saturday that air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. These drones struck multiple regions, including Crimea.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said electricity and water restrictions were introduced following power cuts caused by the drone strikes. Ukrainian authorities reported hitting a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield within Russia in the past 24 hours. They also stated that Russia conducted 88 air strikes on Friday, deploying 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones.