Ukraine restores full satellite data speeds

The satellite internet connection serving the Ukrainian military returned to full capacity on Saturday, ending a period of restricted bandwidth that disrupted drone operations. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the restoration in a public statement, marking the end of a technical dispute with the network's owner.

Khmara stated that devices can now travel at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour without losing signal. This speed threshold serves as a technical indicator that the network has returned to its standard performance levels. The minister described the fix as vital for front-line soldiers, drone logistics, and general communications.

Ukrainian officials previously accused US President Donald Trump of instructing Elon Musk to limit the network's capabilities. Under those restrictions, drones reportedly dropped their connection when moving at 161 kilometers per hour or faster. Trump initially denied issuing such an order but later acknowledged that Musk had resolved the issue.

The military relies on Starlink and its secure counterpart, Starshield, to coordinate operations across remote battlefield sectors. Musk indicated that the Pentagon controls Starshield, suggesting the US military may have been involved in the recent connectivity issues. The network comprises 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites.

The technical dispute coincided with a diplomatic rift between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky. The tension centers on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. Trump argued these attacks raised global fuel prices, while Kyiv contended they targeted a primary revenue source for Moscow's war effort.

Trump waived certain sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel for the US market ahead of next month's midterm elections. European allies and Ukraine criticized this move. Zelensky claimed the US also threatened to pause intelligence sharing if the strikes continued, a threat Trump later denied.

Combat operations continued during the connectivity issues. Russia's defence ministry reported shooting down 616 fixed-wing drones on Saturday. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said power and water restrictions were implemented after drone strikes caused local outages. Ukrainian authorities stated they hit a missile component manufacturer and a chemical plant within Russia in the past day.