Ukraine's military satellite link hits full throttle after 10-day slowdown

Ukraine’s military communications have returned to normal speed ten days after a sudden restriction disrupted operations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the fix in a Telegram video address on Saturday.

The government confirmed that the connection to Starlink is now stable. Zelenskyy stated that both Starlink and Starshield systems are operating at the speeds required for frontline logistics and defense.

Speed limits had capped the terminals at 160km/h, a restriction that caused several combat missions to fail earlier this month. The limits hampered the ability to intercept Russian attack drones and forced the cancellation of some operations targeting sites behind enemy lines.

The timing of the restrictions coincided with Donald Trump’s announcement of a US deal to buy Russian diesel. Trump initially denied that his administration was behind the decision to cut intelligence sharing. He told reporters he did not think Elon Musk was responsible for the cap.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed toward Musk during a defense of the president last Wednesday. Rubio said the president does not run the company and cannot direct its actions. Musk pushed back on X, stating that the systems are owned and controlled by the US government and that any limits are decided by the US military.

Zelenskyy blamed both sides for the disruption, noting that Starshield terminals in EU countries faced no similar restrictions. He described the decision as a planned operation that would bring human losses. Vice-president JD Vance supported Musk, saying the billionaire did not want to get in the middle of the conflict without government direction.

The situation remained unclear earlier in the week. Trump claimed the service was back at full speed on Thursday, but a European official denied it was fully functioning. Trump said on Friday that he had not spoken to Musk but might have to, calling the billionaire very brilliant.