Zelenskyy: Satellite Speeds Hit 400 km/h

Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield systems were lifted by the morning of October 24. He stated that the networks now operate at pre-restriction speeds, providing the bandwidth required for military operations.

The disruption began days earlier when Zelenskyy reported that equipment in several sectors along the line of contact was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h. He noted that this throttling interfered with logistics and reduced the effectiveness of drone operations. The slowdown specifically hindered the ability to counter jet-powered Shahed drones.

Speeds began to recover overnight. Before the president's address, defence forces and Ministry of Defence experts recorded both systems functioning at speeds above 161 km/h. The Ministry of Defence subsequently issued an official confirmation, stating that it was registering speeds above 400 km/h and that the connection remained stable.

The technical issue drew political scrutiny in the United States. On October 16, Donald Trump claimed the White House was not involved in limiting Ukraine's use of the system. Separately, The Telegraph reported that Elon Musk had approached Trump with the idea of restricting the bandwidth of the satellite networks used by the Ukrainian military.

Zelenskyy thanked those who helped restore communications in his video address. He described the recovery as vital for frontline logistics. The defence ministry confirmed that the connection is currently stable at the higher speed tier.