Ukraine Regains Full Starlink Speeds After Week-Long Military Throttle

Full-speed access to Starlink and Starshield satellite networks in Ukraine was restored on Saturday morning, ending a seven-day period of reduced bandwidth that disrupted military operations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the restoration began overnight, stating that speeds were sufficient by Saturday to improve front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones. The technical fix resolves a major strain in Kyiv's defense capabilities during an active phase of the war.

Elon Musk admitted on Saturday that SpaceX was responsible for the slowdown. In a post on X, Musk stated that the company restricted the service because the Ukrainian military used the civilian commercial platform for offensive drone strikes. He argued that this usage violated the terms of service and that the loophole was closed last week. Musk defended the decision as necessary to maintain the distinction between commercial and military satellite applications.

Ukrainian officials had spent the previous week questioning the cause of the interruptions. Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara attributed the resolution to direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington. Khmara emphasized that the restored connectivity is vital for the front lines, specifically for drone operations, logistics, and communications. The incident caused alarms among military commanders who reported lost drones and disrupted missions due to the degraded signal.

The technical dispute occurred against a backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts. On Wednesday, Russia agreed to resume three-way talks with the United States and Ukraine next month. Additionally, Kyiv and Moscow reached a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the southern Kherson region on Friday. This agreement was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and marks a specific pause in fighting in that war-ravaged area.

The episode added tension to relations between Kyiv and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump stated he did not make the decision to throttle the speeds and said Musk should not be blamed. However, Vice-President JD Vance hinted at White House coordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any direct administration involvement in the technical changes.

Combat operations continued during the connectivity issues. In the Kharkiv region, a missile attack on Lozova killed one man and wounded two others. Ukrainian forces struck a chemical plant in Tolyatti and an electronics plant in Oryol, the latter of which produced components for Russian missiles. Local officials reported three deaths in the Oryol attack. Ukrainian drones also reached the Omsk region, more than 2,000 kilometers from the border, where a drone attacked an Ozon logistics center without reported casualties.