Satellite Speed Caps Lifted for Ukraine's Front-Line Drones

Ukraine's military is again running drones and other fast-moving equipment at speeds above 250 mph through Starlink connections, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said Saturday. The change ends a week of satellite speed restrictions that Ukrainian officials said caused lost drones and disrupted missions at the front.

Khmara told reporters that Defense Ministry monitoring systems in Ukraine were showing stable connections on objects moving faster than 250 mph. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said checks confirmed that both Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade service, were running at the required speed.

Zelenskyy said restoration began Friday night. "Now the speed is what we need," he said, adding that by Saturday morning speeds were sufficient to use the connection. He said the restored service supports front-line logistics and the defense against Shahed drones that Russia launches from Iran.

Commanders reported lost drones and interrupted operations during the week of restrictions on Starshield. Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's diplomacy with Washington for the outcome, saying it mattered most "for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications." Zelenskyy thanked Americans and "all our partners, who took all this seriously and are really helping us."

The restoration follows a U.S. push to end the war. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month, and on Friday Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in the southern Kherson region, brokered by first lady Melania Trump. The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, already strained by President Donald Trump's reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.

Questions remain about who ordered the interruptions to the satellite internet system built by Elon Musk's company, which Ukraine has used for years to counter Russian attacks. Trump has said he did not make the call while also saying Musk should not be blamed.