Ukraine restores full satellite speeds

Ukraine’s government announced on Saturday that its military has regained a stable connection to Starlink, ending a ten-day period of sudden speed restrictions.

The limits capped terminal speeds at 160 kilometers per hour, a threshold that previously allowed for basic communication but hampered high-bandwidth operations. These constraints caused several combat missions to fail in the first part of the month, including the interception of Russian attack drones and strikes on targets behind enemy lines. The slowdown also prevented the US from providing advance warning of Russian ballistic missile launches.

The timing of the restrictions coincided with Donald Trump’s announcement of a US deal to purchase Russian diesel. Trump initially denied his administration was responsible for the cut in intelligence sharing. He stated, "I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," referring to SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the president last Wednesday, noting that Trump does not run the company and cannot direct its decisions. "The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk," Rubio said. Musk placed the responsibility on the US administration, writing on X that the systems are owned and controlled by the government and that limits are decided by the US military. Vice-president JD Vance backed this view on Thursday, arguing that Musk does not want to mediate a war without explicit US government direction.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed both parties for the disruption. He stated, "It was a message from [the] American government to limit the speed, and technically, SpaceX did it." Zelenskyy pointed out that Starshield terminals in EU countries faced no similar restrictions, calling the decision a "planned operation" that would bring human losses.

The restoration began overnight and was confirmed by morning, with speeds returning to pre-restriction levels required for frontline logistics and the defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. Zelenskyy thanked US allies, including Trump and the State Department, for resolving the issue. Earlier in the week, Trump had claimed the service was back at full speed, but a European official told the Associated Press that it was not fully functioning. Trump said on Friday that he had not yet spoken to Musk but might have to, adding, "If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out."