Zelenskyy: Ukraine satellite links back to 400 km/h after slowdown

Ukraine's military satellite communications have returned to full capacity, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on the morning of October 24. He stated in a video address that Starlink and Starshield are now operating at the speeds required for frontline logistics and defense against jet-powered drones.

The restoration followed several days of reduced performance. Zelenskyy previously reported that equipment in sectors along the line of contact was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h. He noted that these caps interfered with supply lines and restricted the use of military drones.

Technical teams began observing improvements overnight. Before the president's statement, Ukrainian defense 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 that speeds had climbed above 400 km/h and that the connection was stable.

"Starlink and Starshield are back to operating at the speeds they were capable of before these restrictions were imposed. Now we have the speed we need," Zelenskyy said. He thanked the individuals who helped restore the systems and described the development as very important for protecting the country.

The bandwidth issue also sparked political discussion in the United States. On October 16, President Donald Trump claimed the White House was not involved in limiting Ukraine's use of the networks. The Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had proposed restricting the bandwidth of the satellite systems used by the Ukrainian military.

Zelenskyy confirmed the restrictions were lifted by the morning of October 24. The defense ministry verified that data flow rates had reached levels suitable for full military operations, marking the end of the temporary cap.