Starlink restored at full speed in Ukraine, relief for Kyiv's drone operations
SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink and its military version Starshield have been restored at full speed in Ukraine. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said on Saturday that the restored connection allows Ukraine's forces to operate drones at high speed again.
Khmara told reporters in WhatsApp messages that the defence ministry's monitoring systems indicate Starlink and Starshield speeds have been restored. In his words, speeds exceeding 400 km/h are being recorded and the connection is stable.
Since last week, Kyiv had been reporting speed limits on Starshield, the Pentagon-funded military-grade service on which Ukraine relies heavily to thwart Russian attacks. The throttling was affecting Ukraine's ability to use drones and carry out defensive strikes.
On Friday, Ukrainian officials said drones continued to lose signal at speeds above 160 km/h, despite US President Donald Trump saying on Thursday that SpaceX chief Elon Musk had 'put it back'.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also raised the issue in a phone call with Trump on Friday. The throttling had come amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv, with Trump blaming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the continuation of the war with Russia.
Khmara said the outcome is of primary importance for the front line, for military personnel, and for the operation of drones, logistics and communications — meaning far more than internet speed alone depends on this connection on the battlefield.
The defence minister added that his ministry would continue to monitor and track the performance of Starlink and Starshield, indicating that any renewed slowdown would be detected quickly.
Although Starlink is known as a civilian satellite internet service, its military version Starshield has become an important part of Kyiv's defences in the Ukraine war, with Ukraine repeatedly stressing its reliance on the network to repel Russian attacks.
The end of a disruption lasting more than a week brings immediate relief to Ukraine's forces, particularly the return of previous speeds for drone-based surveillance and defensive operations.
The episode has also shown again how dependent a country at war can become on a private company's satellite service, and how quickly a disruption to that service is felt on the front line.
It remains to be seen how long the restored speeds remain stable, and whether fresh uncertainty emerges over this vital communications service amid the tensions in Washington-Kyiv relations.
