Ukraine satellite speeds hit 400 km/h after days of throttling

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on the morning of October 24 that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite systems were lifted. In a video address, he stated that the networks had returned to their pre-restriction operational speeds. "Starlink and Starshield are back to operating at the speeds they were capable of before these restrictions were imposed. Now we have the speed we need," he said.

The recovery began overnight, with speeds rising to levels deemed sufficient for military use by morning. Zelenskyy emphasized the impact on frontline logistics and the ability to intercept jet-powered Shahed drones. Before his announcement, defense forces and Ministry of Defence experts recorded both systems functioning at speeds above 161 km/h. The ministry later issued an official confirmation, noting that it was registering speeds above 400 km/h and that the connection remained stable.

The restoration follows a period of disruption that affected several sectors along the line of contact. Zelenskyy previously reported that equipment operated at reduced speeds of 130 to 161 km/h, which interfered with logistics and limited drone operations. The bandwidth limits drew political scrutiny, with US President Donald Trump claiming on October 16 that the White House had not been involved in limiting Ukraine's use of the system.

Separately, The Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had approached Trump with the idea of restricting the bandwidth of the satellite networks used by the Ukrainian military. The current restoration marks the end of that temporary cap, allowing full capacity operations to resume across the front.