Ukraine confirms Starlink speeds restored after ten-day military disruption
The return of full satellite bandwidth comes after speed limits caused failed drone intercepts and halted deep-strike missions.
By Marco Graham ·
Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday that military access to Starlink satellite internet has returned to stable levels, ending a ten-day period of abrupt speed restrictions. The connectivity issues had capped terminal operations at 160 kilometers per hour, a limit that interfered with critical defense and offensive tasks.
The disruption forced the cancellation of several operations targeting Russian positions behind enemy lines. It also hampered the ability of Ukrainian forces to intercept incoming Russian drones. During the restricted period, Russian ballistic missile strikes hit Ukrainian targets without prior warning from Washington.
The timing of the limits coincided with the announcement of a United States agreement to purchase Russian diesel. President Donald Trump initially denied that his administration was responsible for the reduced intelligence sharing and speed caps. He stated that neither he nor Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, had ordered the changes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump by asserting that the president does not manage SpaceX or its Starlink and Starshield systems. In contrast, Musk wrote on social media that the systems are owned and controlled by the US government. He argued that the US military and the president decide on usage limits. Vice President JD Vance supported Musk’s position, noting that the billionaire does not wish to intervene in the conflict without direct government instruction.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attributed the technical implementation to SpaceX but the directive to the American government. He pointed out that Starshield terminals in European Union countries faced no similar restrictions, suggesting the measures were specific to Ukraine. Zelenskyy described the incident as a planned operation that risked human losses.
In a Telegram video address, Zelenskyy announced that Starlink and Starshield are now operating at pre-restriction speeds sufficient for frontline logistics and defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. The restoration began overnight, and by Saturday morning, operational speeds were back to normal levels.
The timeline of the fix remained inconsistent before Zelenskyy’s announcement. Trump claimed on Thursday that service was fully restored, but a European official told the Associated Press that the system was not yet functioning at full capacity. When asked on Friday if he would instruct Musk to resolve the access issues, Trump said he had not spoken to the billionaire but would straighten out any problems.
