Kyiv Reports Satellite Speeds Restored Amid Peace Push
Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield are operating at prior speeds after more than a week of caps, as Moscow agrees to trilateral talks next month.
By Noah Rao ·
Ukraine's satellite communications returned to their pre-restriction speeds overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday, ending a disruption that had capped connections at roughly 100 mph for more than a week and hampered drone interception efforts. The Defense Ministry said its monitoring systems recorded connectivity holding steady above 250 mph.
Restrictions on Starlink and the military's Starshield system began more than a week ago. Zelenskyy wrote on X that the restoration started overnight, adding, "The most important thing today is that Starlink and Starshield operations have been restored to the speeds we had before the restrictions." Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara credited the outcome to "direct dialogue" by Zelenskyy.
Responsibility for the slowdown became a point of friction between Washington and Kyiv. Ukrainian officials told NBC's Meet the Press they believed the U.S. government ordered the caps, with SpaceX acting on a "message from [the] American government." On Oct. 14, Elon Musk wrote on X that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." The Trump administration has denied interfering with Ukraine's access to the system.
Asked on Friday who ordered the restrictions, President Trump told reporters, "I wouldn't tell you if I did know." He also defended Musk, saying, "Elon will never do anything wrong. I know him very well. He's a fair person." Zelenskyy thanked "all Americans," naming members of Congress, the State Department and President Trump.
Ukraine depends on Starlink for drone operations, logistics such as delivering food and water to soldiers, and communications along the front line. Zelenskyy said the service also helps protect against Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia.
The restoration arrives as a U.S.-led push for peace talks advances. Russia has agreed to a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and the United States next month, and both sides have agreed to a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied southern city of Oleshky. The White House said First Lady Melania Trump brokered that deal, which includes humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation amid a growing food crisis there. Fighting continues elsewhere: on Saturday Ukraine struck a chemical plant in the Russian city of Tolyatti, while a Russian drone hit a residential building in Kyiv's Obolon District and set it alight.
The Oleshky agreement covers humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation, and a trilateral meeting is scheduled for next month.
Source: NPR
