Ukraine says Starlink, Starshield connections return to normal speeds

Ukraine relies on SpaceX's civilian Starlink satellite network and its military-grade Starshield system to support military communications and operations (Photo: AP,Reuters).

Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems are operating at speeds exceeding 400 km/h, the country's defence minister said on Saturday, after more than a week of service disruptions that hit military operations.“The ministry of defence's monitoring systems are recording a return to normal speed for Starlink/Starshield. We are recording a speed of over 400 kph. The connection is stable,” defence minister Evhenii Khmara told reporters.Ukraine relies on SpaceX's civilian Starlink satellite network and its military-grade Starshield system to support military communications and operations, including efforts to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks.The Ukrainian defence ministry said its monitoring systems had previously recorded disruptions to the services, but that speed metrics had now returned to normal. However, it did not confirm whether service had been fully restored, Reuters reported.Khmara also highlighted the importance of the recovery for military operations.“This result is above all important for our front, for our soldiers, for the operation of drones, for logistics and for communications,” he said, according to AFP.

The restrictions, first reported on October 14, affected Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attack drones and disrupted communications along the front line, Ukrainian officials said, according to Reuters. Sources told the news agency that connection speeds had fallen to around 160 km/h or lower.The satellite network has become a point of tension between Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously accused the United States of helping Russia by failing to warn Kyiv about incoming missile strikes and weakening Ukraine's military response by throttling Starlink speeds, AFP reported.Khmara credited Zelenskyy's “firm stance” on the issue, saying it was “bearing fruit”, AFP reported.The disruption followed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a deal to buy Russian diesel and his decision to waive new sanctions on Moscow, while pressing Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, Reuters reported.On Friday, Trump said that if problems with access to Starlink communications systems in Ukraine persisted, he would “get it straightened out”.