Ukraine's Starlink Speeds Recover After Two-Week Slump
President Zelenskyy confirmed satellite speeds are back to full capacity, a fix that follows a period where connections dropped at 100 mph.
By Kenji Yamamoto ·
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on October 24 that the Starshield satellite network has returned to its standard speed. He described the restoration as very important for frontline logistics and for defending against jet-powered Shahed drones. The service, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, had suffered restrictions that hampered military operations for nearly two weeks.
Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that monitoring now shows connectivity on equipment moving faster than 250 mph. This marks a sharp improvement from the previous day, when a Ukrainian official reported links dropping at 100 mph. Those limits prevented drone interceptors from maintaining stable connections during high-speed maneuvers.
The timeline of the disruption coincides with rising friction between Kyiv and Washington. Serhiy Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Zelenskyy, suggested a link to recent diplomatic tensions, though no official confirmation exists. The Trump administration denies that the US government requested the changes. Musk has stated that the military, and ultimately President Donald Trump, controls decisions on speed and use.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Trump called Musk to urge the lifting of restrictions. When asked about the incident, Trump said, "if there is a problem, I will get it straightened out." Lawmakers from both parties in Congress have demanded answers on who authorized the changes and seek guarantees of reliable access for Ukraine.
The technical fix arrived while fighting continued. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 100 of 130 Russian drones launched overnight. Attacks on 15 locations killed at least two people. Ukraine's General Staff reported strikes on two industrial facilities in Russia, including a missile component factory in Oryol and a rubber production site in Togliatti.
Most of occupied Crimea also lost electricity in the early hours of the day. Cities including Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Yalta went dark. Russian-installed authorities said mobile service reached only 40 percent of the area and suspended public electric transport in Sevastopol. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of the occupation administration, blamed a drone attack on power lines outside Crimea.
Ukraine has not commented on the blackouts, and the cause remains unconfirmed. Ukrainian monitoring channels reported a fire at the Taman electrical substation in Russia's Krasnodar region. That substation supplies Crimea via the Kerch Strait. Peace talks remain stalled as a fifth wartime winter approaches.
Source: RFE/RL
