Satellite Speeds Jump to 400 km/h: Ukraine Says Military Links Fully Restored

Ukrainian authorities confirmed on 24 October that satellite internet speeds reached 400 km/h, restoring full capacity to military networks.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a video address that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield systems were lifted by the morning. He said the networks are now operating at the speeds they were capable of before the limitations were imposed. Zelenskyy noted that the recovery began overnight and reached levels necessary for military use by sunrise.

The Ministry of Defence officially verified the restoration of service. Officials reported that they were registering speeds above 400 km/h with stable connections. Prior to the official confirmation, defense forces and ministry experts had already recorded both systems functioning at speeds exceeding 161 km/h.

The temporary slowdown had impacted operations along the line of contact. A few days earlier, Zelenskyy reported that equipment was limited to speeds between 130 and 161 km/h in several sectors. He explained that this reduction interfered with frontline logistics and restricted the use of drones. The president specifically cited the importance of full speed for protecting Ukraine from jet-powered Shahed drones.

The disruption also 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 systems. Separately, The Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had discussed restricting the bandwidth of the satellite networks with Trump.

Zelenskyy thanked those who assisted in restoring communications during the period of disruption. The return to full speed marks the end of the temporary caps that had been in place for several days.