Ukraine confirms 400 km/h satellite speeds

Ukraine’s satellite internet speeds have returned to their previous maximums.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video address that restrictions on the Starlink and Starshield systems were lifted by the morning of October 24. He stated that both networks are now operating at the speeds they were capable of before the limitations were imposed. Zelenskyy noted that the country now has the speed it needs for its operations.

The recovery began overnight, with speeds reaching the required level for military use by morning. Zelenskyy emphasized the impact on frontline logistics and the ability to defend against jet-powered Shahed drones. Prior to the presidential statement, defense forces and Ministry of Defence experts recorded both systems functioning above 161 km/h. The Ministry later issued an official confirmation, reporting that it was registering speeds above 400 km/h and that the connection remained stable.

The restoration ends a period of disruption that affected several sectors along the line of contact. A few days earlier, Zelenskyy reported that equipment was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h. He explained that this reduction interfered with logistics and limited Ukraine’s capacity to use drones.

The bandwidth restrictions also generated political attention. On October 16, US President Donald Trump claimed the White House had not been involved in limiting Ukraine’s use of the system. Separately, The Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had approached Trump with the idea of restricting the bandwidth of the satellite networks used by the Ukrainian military.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the connection is stable and that speeds have exceeded 400 km/h.