Ukraine confirms Starlink speeds back above 400 km/h

Satellite communication capabilities for the Ukrainian military have returned to full operational capacity, resolving a technical bottleneck that affected frontline logistics and defense systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the restoration in a video address delivered on October 24.

The Ministry of Defence reported that both Starlink and Starshield networks were registering stable connection speeds above 400 km/h by the morning of the announcement. Earlier that day, defence forces and ministry experts had recorded initial recovery speeds exceeding 161 km/h. Zelenskyy noted that the systems reached the necessary velocity for military use by morning, ending a period of reduced performance.

During the disruption, Zelenskyy explained that the satellite equipment operated at speeds between 130 and 161 km/h in several sectors along the line of contact. This reduction interfered with supply chains and limited Ukraine’s ability to deploy drones. The restored speeds are essential for protecting Ukrainian positions from jet-powered Shahed drones and maintaining efficient logistics on the front lines.

The technical issues sparked political debate regarding the source of the restrictions. On October 16, US President Donald Trump stated that the White House was not involved in limiting Ukraine’s use of the systems. Reports from The Telegraph indicated that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had proposed restricting the bandwidth of the networks used by the Ukrainian military to Trump.

Zelenskyy thanked those who assisted in restoring the communications infrastructure. He emphasized that the recovery allows Ukraine to operate at the speeds required for current military needs. The ministry’s official confirmation followed the president’s statement, documenting the stable connection rates.