Ukraine Reports Full Starlink Restoration After Front-Line Speed Limits

Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday that the country’s military has regained full access to Starlink satellite internet. The restoration ends speed restrictions that Ukrainian officials stated disrupted front-line operations for more than seven days. The service is now fully operational for drones and other fast-moving military equipment.

Khmara stated that Defense Ministry monitoring systems confirmed stable connections for objects traveling faster than 250 mph. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that checks verified both Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade variant, were running at the required speeds. Zelenskyy noted that the restoration began the previous night, with sufficient speeds available by morning.

“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 emphasized the impact on front-line logistics and the defense against Shahed drones, which are Iranian-made and regularly launched by Russia.

Commanders reported lost drones and disrupted missions during the week of restrictions. The interruptions caused alarm among Ukrainian military and government officials. Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for resolving the issue. He said the fix mattered most for the front, military drone work, logistics, and communications.

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

The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington. The relationship was already strained by President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal. Zelenskyy thanked Americans and partners who took the situation seriously and helped resolve it.

Questions remain about who ordered the interruptions to the satellite system built by Elon Musk’s company. Ukraine has relied on the network for years to counter Russian attacks. Trump maintained that he did not make the call to restrict speeds, while also stating that Musk should not be blamed for the disruption.