Ukraine’s military has regained a stable connection to the Starlink satellite network after experiencing several days of restricted connectivity, Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara has said.
Khmara said the network could now support speeds exceeding 400km/h, indicating that its previous operational capabilities had been restored.
In a statement on Saturday, he said the development was important for frontline troops, drone operations, logistics and military communications.
Ukraine relies heavily on Starlink and its military-grade counterpart, Starshield, to support operations across the country, particularly in remote battlefield areas.
Connectivity Problems Affected Ukrainian Drone Operations
The disruption emerged last week when Ukraine accused US President Donald Trump of asking Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX and Starlink, to restrict the network’s capabilities.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions meant drones travelling at speeds of 161km/h or more could lose their connection.
Trump denied directing Musk to impose the limits before later saying Musk had restored the service.
Khmara’s announcement that speeds above 400km/h were possible suggested that the network could again support the military’s operational requirements.
Starlink and Starshield Remain Important to Ukraine’s Defence
Ukraine uses a network of approximately 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites to support military communications and operations.
The country uses both the civilian Starlink service and Starshield, a more secure system designed for government and military applications.
Musk previously said Starshield was controlled by the US military when discussing the connectivity problems, raising questions about whether the Pentagon could have been involved in the disruption.
Russia is not authorised to use Starlink. As a result, the network is unavailable for Russian operations, including when Ukrainian forces launch long-range missiles or drones against targets deep inside Russia.
Ukraine has used such attacks against Russian oil refineries, which Kyiv considers important sources of revenue supporting Moscow’s war effort.
Starlink Dispute Emerges Amid Tensions Between Trump and Zelensky
The controversy over Starlink developed during a wider diplomatic dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.
Zelensky said the United States had appeared to restrict Starlink’s capabilities in Ukraine and had also threatened to withdraw intelligence-sharing support if Kyiv did not halt the strikes.
Trump denied making the alleged threat.
The dispute has added to tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the conduct of the war and the impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
Trump Eases Some Russia Sanctions Amid Fuel Market Debate
Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to a deal to import Russian diesel into the US market, moves criticised by Ukraine and its European allies.
The US president has also argued that Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries have contributed to higher global fuel prices.
Although the attacks have affected international fuel markets, price increases recorded this year have primarily been attributed to the war involving Iran.
Fighting Continues as Crimea Reports Power and Water Restrictions
Despite the reported restoration of Starlink connectivity, fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues.
Russian authorities said electricity disruptions occurred in Russian-annexed Crimea following a Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said restrictions had been introduced affecting electricity and water supplies.
Separately, Russian-backed authorities reported that at least three people were killed and another person was wounded in a Ukrainian strike in Kharkiv.
The reports of casualties and infrastructure disruption came as Ukraine announced that its military had regained stable access to the satellite network.
