Ukraine Regains Full Starlink Speeds

Ukrainian authorities confirmed on Saturday that military access to Starlink satellite communications has returned to pre-restriction levels, ending a ten-day period of throttled speeds. The government stated that the connection is now stable, with data transfer rates capped at 160km/h, or 99mph. This restoration follows a sudden limitation on the terminals that caused several combat missions to fail earlier this month.

The speed caps hindered the Ukrainian military's capacity to intercept Russian attack drones. Some operations targeting assets behind enemy lines were cancelled due to insufficient bandwidth. During the restriction, Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine without receiving advance warning from US intelligence channels. The terminals are manufactured by Elon Musk's SpaceX but managed by the US government, serving as a critical component of Ukrainian defense infrastructure.

The timing of the limits coincided with a US presidential announcement of a deal to purchase Russian diesel. President Donald Trump initially denied his administration was responsible for cutting intelligence sharing. "I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," Trump said, referring to Musk. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later directed suspicion toward Musk, stating that the president does not run the company and cannot direct its operations.

Musk countered by asserting that the systems are owned and controlled by the US government. He wrote on X that limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Vice-president JD Vance supported Musk's position, arguing that the billionaire should not be placed in the middle of a war between two state actors without effective US government direction.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed both parties for the disruption. "It was a message from [the] American government to limit the speed," Zelenskyy said. "and technically, SpaceX did it." He noted that Starshield terminals in European Union countries faced no similar restrictions, which applied only to Ukraine. "In other words, this is a planned operation," Zelenskyy said, warning that the decision would bring human losses.

The restoration began overnight Saturday. By morning, Zelenskyy reported in a Telegram video address that speeds were sufficient for operational use, including frontline logistics and defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. He thanked US allies, including Trump and the State Department, for resolving the issue. The system had resumed operating at the level Ukraine needs.

Earlier in the week, the situation remained unclear. On Thursday, Trump claimed the service was back at full speed, but a European official told the Associated Press that it was not fully functioning. On Friday, Trump said he had not spoken to Musk but might have to. "If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out," Trump said, describing Musk as "very brilliant" and "very good".