Ukraine Confirms Return of 400 km/h Drone Connectivity
Starshield satellite speeds have been restored after a two-week drop that limited military operations, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
By Jason Fischer ·
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 24 that Starshield satellite communications have returned to their previous operational speeds. He stated on Telegram that the restoration is critical for frontline logistics and for countering jet-powered Shahed drones. The system had previously experienced restrictions that reduced connectivity for equipment moving at high velocities.
Starshield is a military-focused service developed by SpaceX that operates alongside the commercial Starlink network. Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara confirmed that monitoring systems recorded restored connectivity on assets traveling faster than 400 kilometers per hour. This marks the end of a nearly two-week period during which links dropped at approximately 161 kilometers per hour, limiting the effectiveness of drone interceptors.
Khmara attributed the resolution to direct dialogue and the president's consistent advocacy. The specific entity that imposed the earlier limits remains unclear. Serhiy Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Zelenskyy, suggested a connection to recent friction between Kyiv and Washington, although this link has not been formally established.
The Trump administration has denied that any US government official requested the changes. Elon Musk, whose company developed the system, noted that the government controls Starshield and that President Donald Trump makes final decisions on usage. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier in the week that Trump called Musk to urge the lifting of restrictions, after which reliability improved. Trump declined to comment directly but said he would resolve any problems.
The issue arose amid other US actions that Ukrainian and Western allies viewed as favorable to Russia. In the past two weeks, the administration announced a deal encouraging Russian diesel exports and waived upcoming sanctions. Trump also urged Kyiv to pause attacks on Russian oil refineries. Zelenskyy initially considered a pause but declared a unilateral end to the truce after President Vladimir Putin ordered continued strikes on Ukraine.
Fighting continued overnight as Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down 100 of 130 Russian drones. Attacks on 15 locations killed at least two people. Ukrainian forces struck two industrial facilities and a military airport in Russia, targeting missile components in Oryol and rubber products in Togliatti. Most of occupied Crimea lost electricity in the early hours, with mobile service reaching only 40 percent of the area.
Source: RFE/RL
