400 km/h: Ukraine Confirms Full Speed Restored for Starlink and Starshield

Satellite internet speeds for the Ukrainian military have been fully restored, according to an announcement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the morning of October 24. In a video address, the president stated that the systems are operating at the speeds they maintained before recent restrictions were imposed.

Zelenskyy emphasized the operational impact of the recovery, noting that the restored bandwidth is essential for frontline logistics and for defending against jet-powered Shahed drones. He thanked those who assisted in resolving the technical issues that had disrupted communications in the days prior.

The Ministry of Defence provided official confirmation of the technical fix. While defence forces initially recorded speeds above 161 km/h, the ministry later reported that the connection was stable and registering speeds above 400 km/h. This figure marks a substantial increase from the earlier readings that had caused operational delays.

The disruption had forced a reduction in satellite throughput. Zelenskyy previously reported that equipment in several sectors along the line of contact was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h. This cap hindered drone operations and slowed the movement of supplies to troops near the front.

Political questions arose regarding the origin of the bandwidth limits. On October 16, US President Donald Trump stated that the White House was not involved in the decision to limit Ukraine's use of the satellite network. According to a report by The Telegraph, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk approached Trump with the specific idea of restricting the bandwidth available to the Ukrainian military.