Satellite Connectivity: Ukraine Confirms Full Speeds Restored

Ukraine’s military satellite internet service has returned to full capacity after several days of operational restrictions.

Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the restoration of stable access in a statement released on Saturday. He confirmed that network speeds now support vehicle speeds exceeding 400km/h, a metric he identified as the threshold for full capability. Khmara described the recovery as vital for frontline operations, specifically for drone piloting, logistics, and communication channels.

The disruption followed accusations by Ukrainian officials last week that US President Donald Trump instructed Elon Musk to limit Starlink access. Under those reported limits, drones reportedly lost connectivity when traveling at 161km/h or faster. Trump initially denied issuing such an order but later stated that Musk had reversed the changes. The conflict emerged against a backdrop of diplomatic friction between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Ukraine relies heavily on the Starlink and Starshield networks to operate drones in remote battlefield areas. Musk has indicated that Starshield, the military-grade version of the service, is controlled by the US Department of Defense, suggesting the Pentagon may have been involved in the recent connectivity issues. The network is currently unavailable to Russian forces, meaning it does not function when Ukrainian long-range missiles or drones enter Russian territory to target oil refineries.

The dispute coincides with a wider disagreement between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. With US midterm elections scheduled for next month, Trump has waived certain sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel. European allies and Ukraine have criticized this move. Trump argues that Ukrainian strikes on refineries have increased global fuel prices, while Kyiv maintains that these attacks reduce Moscow’s primary war revenue. Zelensky also claimed the US threatened to pause intelligence sharing if the strikes continued, a threat Trump denied.

Combat operations continued on the ground during the connectivity issues. The Russian defence ministry reported on Saturday that air defenses downed 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones across several regions, including Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, stated that electricity and water restrictions were imposed following power cuts caused by the drone strikes. Ukrainian authorities said they hit a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield within Russia over the past 24 hours. They also reported that Russia executed 88 air strikes on Friday, deploying 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones.