Ukraine Restores 250 mph Drone Speeds After Starlink Disruption

Ukraine’s military has regained full access to Starlink satellite speeds for drones and other fast-moving assets, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday. The restoration ends speed limits that Ukrainian officials said disrupted front-line operations for more than a week. Khmara stated that monitoring systems now show stable connections for objects moving faster than 250 mph.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that checks verified both Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade service, were running at correct speeds. "Now the speed is what we need," Zelenskyy said. "The restoration began last night, and in the morning there were already speeds sufficient to use this connection. This is very important." He noted that reliable service is critical for front-line logistics and for defending against reactive Shahed drones launched by Russia.

Commanders reported lost drones and disrupted missions during the period of restrictions. The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports. Ukraine viewed that trade arrangement as a betrayal. Questions have persisted since last week over who ordered the interruptions to the satellite internet system built by Elon Musk’s company, which Ukraine has relied on for years to counter Russian attacks. Trump has maintained that he did not make the call, while also saying Musk should not be blamed.

Khmara credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for the resolution. He emphasized that the fix mattered most for the front, military drone work, logistics, and communications. Zelenskyy thanked Americans and all partners who took the issue seriously and helped restore the service.

The restoration occurs as U.S. envoys launch a new push to end the war. Russia agreed on Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a war-ravaged Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. The truce was brokered by first lady Melania Trump.

The speed limits had alarmed Ukrainian military and government officials. The return to full capacity allows for the normal operation of high-speed aerial assets that were previously throttled. The Defense Ministry confirmed the stability of the connections immediately after the change was implemented.

Ukraine’s reliance on satellite connectivity for its drone fleet makes the restoration a key operational step. The week-long disruption forced adjustments in tactical deployments. With speeds back to 250 mph, the military can resume standard protocols for fast-moving equipment without the previous bandwidth constraints.