Ukrainian Drone Speeds Hit by Satellite Limits Reversed After Trump-Musk Dispute

Ukrainian military units can once again operate drones at speeds exceeding 400km/h on the Starlink satellite network, according to Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara. He announced the restoration of full connectivity on Saturday, ending a period of restrictions that had forced troops to adjust their tactical operations. The recovery marks a rapid reversal of limits that had disrupted communications on the front lines for several days.

The connectivity issues emerged last week when Ukrainian officials accused US President Donald Trump of instructing Elon Musk, owner of Starlink, to impose speed caps. Under those constraints, drones lost their signal when traveling at 161km/h or faster. While Trump denied issuing a direct order, he later acknowledged that Musk had reversed the decision. The dispute coincided with a wider diplomatic disagreement between Washington and Kyiv regarding Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Ukraine relies heavily on both the civilian Starlink service and the military-grade Starshield system to pilot drones and manage logistics. The network comprises 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites that provide coverage in remote battlefield areas where traditional infrastructure is damaged. Musk has stated that Starshield is controlled by the US military, suggesting the Pentagon may have been involved in the recent connectivity fluctuations. For Ukrainian forces, stable data transfer is essential for coordinating drone swarms and maintaining command and control.

The timing of the dispute aligns with the US midterm elections, scheduled for next month. During this period, Trump waived certain sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel for the US market. European allies and Kyiv criticized the move, arguing it supported Moscow's economy. Trump contended that Ukrainian attacks on refineries were driving up global fuel prices, while Zelensky maintained that those strikes were necessary to reduce Moscow's war revenue. Global fuel prices did rise this year, though analysts attribute much of the increase to the Iran war.

Zelensky alleged that the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if Ukraine did not halt its strikes on Russian oil facilities. Trump denied making that threat. The friction over the satellite network occurred while Russian forces are not authorized to use Starlink. This technical limitation means the network often fails when Ukrainian missiles or drones travel deep into Russian territory to target refineries, creating a gap in connectivity during long-range attacks.

Ground fighting continued on Saturday despite the communications dispute. The Russian defence ministry reported via Telegram that air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. These aircraft targeted several regions, including the Russian-annexed peninsula of Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said that power and water restrictions were implemented following the drone strikes, which caused localized power cuts in the region.

Ukrainian authorities provided their own assessment of the previous 24 hours. They stated that their forces struck a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield within Russia. Meanwhile, Russian forces conducted 88 air strikes on Friday. These attacks utilized 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones, placing sustained pressure on Ukrainian defensive systems.