Ukrainian drones regain 400km/h speed after satellite cap lifted

Ukrainian military drones can once again travel at speeds exceeding 400km/h (249mph) while maintaining a satellite internet connection. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the restoration of full capability on Saturday, marking the end of several days of restricted connectivity on the Starlink network.

The disruption began last week after Ukrainian officials alleged that US President Donald Trump instructed Elon Musk, owner of Starlink, to impose speed limits. Under those restrictions, drones reportedly lost their signal when traveling at 161km/h (100mph) or faster. Trump initially denied issuing the order but later stated that Musk had resolved the issue. The conflict occurred against a backdrop of diplomatic tension between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Khmara emphasized the operational impact of the outage. "This result is above all important for our front, for our soldiers, for the operation of drones, for logistics and for communications," he said. The Ukrainian military relies heavily on both civilian Starlink and the military-grade Starshield system to pilot drones and coordinate operations, particularly in remote areas of the battlefield.

Musk has indicated that the Pentagon controls Starshield, suggesting US military involvement in the recent connectivity issues. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, which limits its effectiveness when Ukraine launches long-range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory, such as strikes on oil refineries. The dispute over these strikes has influenced global fuel prices, though analysts note that the Iran war has been a primary driver of recent increases.

With midterm elections scheduled for next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel for the US market. European allies and Ukraine have criticized this move. Zelensky also claimed the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes continued, a claim Trump denied.

Fighting continued on the front lines despite the satellite changes. The Russian defence ministry reported on Saturday that its air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. These drones struck several regions, including Russian-annexed Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, stated that restrictions on electricity and water were implemented following power cuts caused by the drone attacks.

Ukrainian authorities reported that in the past 24 hours, they targeted a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield inside Russia. They also stated that Russia conducted 88 air strikes on Friday, deploying 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones.