Ukraine confirms drone satellite speeds back to normal
Defense officials report that Starlink links are operating at full capacity after a week of limits that disrupted front-line operations.
By Megan Greco ·
Ukrainian defense officials confirmed on Saturday that military drones and other fast-moving equipment have regained full access to Starlink satellite speeds. This restoration ends a period of restrictions that lasted more than a week and caused significant disruption to operations along the front line.
Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara told reporters that the ministry's monitoring systems now show stable connections for objects moving faster than 250 mph. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that checks confirmed both the commercial Starlink service and Starshield, the military-grade version provided by SpaceX, are running at the required speed.
Zelenskyy noted that the speed restoration began the previous night. He said sufficient speeds were available by morning. The president described the fix as very important for front-line logistics and for protecting Ukraine from reactive Shahed drones, which are Iranian-made and frequently launched by Russia.
Military commanders reported lost drones and interrupted missions during the week of speed limits. The restrictions on Starshield alarmed government and military officials in Kyiv. Khmara credited direct dialogue with Washington and Zelenskyy's diplomacy for the resolution. He emphasized that the fix matters most for the work of drones, logistics, and communications on the front.
The restoration occurs as U.S. envoys push to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with the United States and Ukraine next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in the Kherson region. First Lady Melania Trump brokered that truce.
The satellite disruption added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington. The relationship had already strained over a reported deal between President Donald Trump and Moscow regarding Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal. Khmara thanked American officials and partners for taking the issue seriously.
Uncertainty remains over who ordered the interruptions to the system built by Elon Musk's company. Trump has said he did not make the decision and that Musk should not be blamed. Ukraine has relied on the service for years to counter Russian attacks.
Source: CBS News
