Ukraine Confirms Starlink Speeds Back to Full Capacity

Ukraine’s military has regained full access to Starlink satellite connections for drones and other fast-moving equipment, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara stated on Saturday. The restoration resolves a weeklong period of speed limits that Ukrainian officials said interfered with operations on the front line.

Khmara reported that monitoring systems now show stable connections for objects traveling faster than 250 mph. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that checks verified both Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version, are operating at the correct speeds. "Now the speed is what we need," Zelenskyy said. "The restoration began last night, and in the morning there were already speeds sufficient to use this connection. This is very important." He noted the fix is vital for front-line logistics and for defending against Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia.

The disruption began last week when speed restrictions were applied to Starshield. During that time, commanders reported losing drones and facing interrupted missions. The issue raised tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s reported agreement with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.

Questions have persisted since last week regarding who ordered the interruptions to the satellite internet system built by Elon Musk’s company. Ukraine has relied on this infrastructure for years to counter Russian attacks. Trump has maintained he did not make the decision to throttle speeds, while also stating that Musk should not be blamed. Khmara credited "direct dialogue" and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for the resolution. He emphasized the outcome matters most for the front, the military, drone work, logistics, and communications. Zelenskyy thanked Americans and "all our partners, who took all this seriously and are really helping us."

The technical fix arrives as U.S. envoys launch a new push to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. Additionally, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on Friday to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. First lady Melania Trump brokered that specific truce.