Starlink speeds restored for Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that satellite communications have returned to full speed after a two-week period of restrictions that hampered military operations.
By Hugo Khalil ·
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on October 24 that the Starshield satellite communications system is operating at its previous speeds. This development ends a nearly two-week period of limitations that restricted Ukrainian military capabilities. Zelenskyy described the restoration as very important for frontline logistics and for defending against jet-powered Shahed drones.
Starshield is a military-focused service developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX that complements the commercial Starlink network. Ukraine relies heavily on both systems for its defense infrastructure. Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara stated that Kyiv's monitoring teams recorded restored connectivity on equipment moving faster than 400 kilometers per hour. Prior to this fix, a Ukrainian official noted that satellite links were dropping at approximately 161 kilometers per hour, which sharply limited the ability of drone interceptors to maintain connections.
The specific entity that imposed the speed limits remains unclear. Serhiy Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Zelenskyy, suggested a connection to recent tensions between Kyiv and Washington, although no formal link has been established. The Trump administration denies that the president or any other US government member requested the changes. Musk has indicated that the government controls Starshield, with decisions on speed and usage made by the military and ultimately by President Donald Trump.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump called Musk to urge him to lift the restrictions, after which communications became more reliable. When asked about the incident, Trump declined to provide detailed comments but said he would straighten out any problems. Lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties in Congress have demanded to know who authorized the changes and seek guarantees of reliable access for Ukraine.
These technical issues arose during a period of diplomatic friction. In the past two weeks, Trump announced a deal encouraging Russian diesel exports and waived sanctions scheduled to take effect under a law he signed last month. He also urged Kyiv to pause attacks on Russian oil refineries. Zelenskyy initially agreed to a pause but stated that Ukraine was done with unilateral stops after Putin ordered strikes to continue.
Fighting continued overnight with Russia launching 130 drones at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense forces reported shooting down 100 of these drones, while attacks on 15 locations killed at least two people. Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck two industrial facilities and a military airport in Russia. One facility in Oryol produces components for cruise and ballistic missiles, while the other in Togliatti produces rubber products used in solid rocket fuel.
Most of Russia-occupied Crimea lost electricity in the early hours of October 24. The outage affected Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Kerch, and Feodosia. NetBlocks recorded an almost complete loss of internet connectivity in the region. Russian-installed authorities stated that mobile service reached only 40 percent of the area and that public electric transport was suspended in Sevastopol. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of the occupation administration, blamed a drone attack on main power lines outside Crimea.
Source: RFE/RL
