Ukraine Confirms Full Drone Speeds After Starlink Restrictions Lifted
Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara states that connectivity has returned to normal levels, ending a multi-day dispute with US officials.
By Alessia Romano ·
Ukrainian military operations rely heavily on satellite connectivity, and that access has been fully restored after a period of severe limitations. Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday that the network is stable again, allowing drones to travel at speeds exceeding 400km/h.
The disruption began last week when Ukrainian officials claimed US President Donald Trump instructed Starlink owner Elon Musk to impose speed caps. Under those restrictions, drones reportedly lost signal when moving faster than 161km/h. Trump initially denied issuing such an order but later acknowledged that Musk had resolved the issue by putting the system back to normal settings.
Khmara emphasized the impact of the restoration on frontline logistics and communications. "This result is above all important for our front, for our soldiers, for the operation of drones, for logistics and for communications," he said. The military uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield network to pilot drones and coordinate operations, particularly in remote battlefield areas.
The technical dispute occurred alongside a wider diplomatic rift between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The tension centered on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. Trump argued that these attacks drove up global fuel prices, while Kyiv maintained they were essential for reducing Moscow's war revenue. Zelensky also alleged that the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes continued, a claim Trump denied.
Musk has indicated that the US military controls the Starshield segment, suggesting the Pentagon may have influenced the recent connectivity issues. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, which limits the network's utility when Ukrainian forces launch long-range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory.
Combat operations continued alongside the satellite dispute. The Russian defense ministry reported on Saturday that air defenses shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. These strikes affected multiple regions, including Russian-annexed Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, stated that electricity and water restrictions were implemented due to power cuts caused by the drone attacks.
Ukrainian authorities reported hitting a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield within Russia over the past 24 hours. They also said Russia executed 88 air strikes on Friday, deploying 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones.
