Ukraine military satellite speeds jump to 400 km/h

Ukraine’s military satellite communications returned to full capacity on October 24, ending a period of throttled speeds that hampered logistics and drone operations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the restoration in a video address, stating that both Starlink and Starshield systems were operating at their pre-restriction levels by the morning.

"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 noted that speeds began recovering overnight and reached the threshold required for military use before dawn.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the data, reporting stable connection speeds above 400 km/h. Prior to this official confirmation, defense forces and ministry experts had recorded both systems functioning at speeds exceeding 161 km/h. Zelenskyy emphasized the operational impact of the recovery, specifically for frontline logistics and the defense against jet-powered Shahed drones.

The disruption occurred just days earlier, when Zelenskyy reported that satellite equipment in several sectors along the line of contact was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h. He explained that these lower speeds interfered with supply lines and restricted the military’s ability to deploy drones effectively.

The bandwidth limits also prompted political discussion between Washington and Kyiv. On October 16, US President Donald Trump stated that the White House was not involved in limiting Ukraine’s use of the satellite systems. According to a report by The Telegraph, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk proposed the bandwidth restrictions to Trump, suggesting a temporary reduction in the data flow available to Ukrainian forces.