Ukraine Confirms Starlink Speeds Restored After Military Restrictions

Ukraine relies heavily on satellite internet for military communications and drone control on the front lines. On Saturday, Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced that the country's access to the Starlink network has returned to full stability.

The announcement follows several days of restricted connectivity that hampered military operations. Khmara stated that speeds exceeding 400 km/h are once again possible on the network. This restoration of speed indicates that full capability has been regained for units in the field.

Khmara emphasized the impact of the fix on battlefield logistics. "This result is above all important for our front, for our soldiers, for the operation of drones, for logistics and for communications," he said in a statement. The military uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield variant to pilot drones and coordinate operations, particularly in remote areas of the conflict zone.

The disruption emerged after Ukrainian officials accused US President Donald Trump of instructing Starlink owner Elon Musk to impose speed limits. Under those restrictions, drones reportedly lost their connection when traveling at 161 km/h or faster. Trump denied giving such an order but later acknowledged that Musk had resolved the issue.

Musk has indicated that the US military controls Starshield and suggested the Pentagon may have been involved in the recent technical problems. Russia is not authorized to use the Starlink network, meaning the signal does not function when Ukrainian forces launch long-range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory to target oil refineries.

The technical dispute coincided with a diplomatic disagreement between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The tension centered on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. With midterm elections in the US due next month, Trump waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to a deal importing Russian diesel for the American market. European allies and Kyiv criticized that move.

Zelensky stated that the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes on Russian refineries continued. Trump denied that threat. The strikes have influenced global fuel prices, although analysts note that price increases this year are primarily driven by the war in Iran. Kyiv argues the attacks are essential for cutting off a major revenue source for Moscow's war effort.

Fighting continued on the ground during the connectivity issues. Russia's defence ministry reported on Telegram that its air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones on Saturday. These drones struck several regions, including the Russian-annexed territory of Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said power and water restrictions were introduced because the strikes caused power cuts in the region.

Ukrainian authorities reported hitting a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield inside 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.

The restoration of full Starlink speeds allows Ukrainian forces to resume high-speed data transmission for drone control and logistics without the previous velocity thresholds triggering signal loss.