Ukraine drone ops hit 400 km/h as satellite caps end

Ukrainian satellite internet speeds have returned to full capacity, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy announced on 24 October that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield networks were lifted by morning. He stated that the systems are now operating at the speeds they were capable of before the limits were imposed. The president emphasized that the recovery began overnight, reaching levels required for military operations by dawn.

The Ministry of Defence officially confirmed the restoration of full bandwidth. Officials reported that both systems are registering speeds above 400 km/h. These figures represent a substantial increase from the 161 km/h recorded by defence experts prior to the official announcement.

The connectivity issues had disrupted frontline logistics and limited the use of drones. Zelenskyy previously noted that equipment in several sectors along the line of contact was capped at 130 to 161 km/h. This reduction in speed hindered the country's ability to protect itself from jet-powered Shahed drones.

The technical restrictions drew political attention on 16 October. US President Donald Trump stated that the White House was not involved in limiting Ukraine's use of the satellite systems. Separately, The Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had proposed restricting the bandwidth of the networks used by the Ukrainian military to the US president.