Kyiv's Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday that military monitoring confirms the restoration of high-speed connectivity for Ukrainian drones operating via Starlink and Starshield. The satellite service had been throttled since 14 October, preventing drones from maintaining links while traveling faster than approximately 161 km/h.
According to Khmara, the defence ministry's own tracking systems verify that speeds above 400 km/h are now supported and the connection remains reliable, Ukrinform reported. The Next Web has not independently confirmed these measurements.
SpaceX operates Starshield as the military variant of its Starlink constellation. The velocity threshold carries strategic significance because Russian attack drones operate at approximately 400 km/h, requiring Ukrainian interceptors to achieve comparable speeds to engage them effectively.
During the restriction period, Ukrainian drone operators found their connections severed above roughly 160 km/h. On Friday, Ukrainian representatives informed Politico that signal loss persisted at speeds above 160 km/h.
This development followed Friday statements from US President Donald Trump indicating that SpaceX's Elon Musk had reactivated the service, according to Kyiv Post. On the same day, UK Prime Minister Andy Downing Street confirmed to Trump that Ukraine required unrestricted Starlink access, ITV reported.
Khmara attributed the restoration to direct negotiations and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's diplomatic efforts. He indicated the defence ministry would continue monitoring network performance.
The identity of those responsible for imposing and subsequently removing the speed restriction remains ambiguous. Musk has previously stated that the US military establishment, with final authority resting with the president, determines all operational constraints affecting Starshield.
Meanwhile, several European satellite operators are actively pursuing opportunities to provide Ukraine with alternative connectivity options independent of Starlink.
Source: The Next Web
