Ukraine restores 400 km/h drone links

Ukrainian military drones can now fly at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour without losing satellite connectivity. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday that Starlink and Starshield connections are stable on high-speed equipment. This confirmation ends a disruption that lasted more than a week and affected operations against Russian forces.

Khmara attributed the resolution to discussions with Washington and the diplomatic efforts of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine relies heavily on satellite services from Elon Musk's SpaceX for communications and drone missions. The specific origin of the restrictions remains unclear, as US President Donald Trump denied responsibility while defending Musk.

The episode increased strain in Kyiv-Washington relations. Tensions had already risen over Trump's agreement to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel and allow US imports. In early October, Trump called for Ukraine to have a new president. On Monday, he suggested that a person other than Zelenskyy should negotiate for Kyiv. These exchanges followed a public confrontation between the two leaders at the White House in February 2025.

US efforts to revive peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv continue amid the restored service. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the US are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. This meeting will occur more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the planned talks on Friday. Zelenskyy announced agreement on technical-level meetings.

Trump also credited his wife, Melania Trump, with securing a local ceasefire in Oleshky in the Kherson region. Russian forces have occupied this area since 2022. Ukrainian and Russian statements later set the start of the ceasefire for October 27. A humanitarian operation is planned for October 29.

Fighting continued during the weekend. A Russian missile strike on Lozova in the Kharkiv region killed one man and wounded two others on Saturday. Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported these casualties. In Chernihiv, a Russian attack on Friday killed one man and wounded at least 25 people. Donetsk officials reported that shelling in Kramatorsk killed one person and wounded six, including three children. Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Lyakh said attacks there killed a 62-year-old woman and wounded four people on Friday.

Ukraine reported strikes inside Russia on Friday and overnight into Saturday. Targets included the Togliattikauchuk petrochemical plant in Togliatti, a major producer of synthetic rubber. Mayor Ilya Sukhikh confirmed industrial damage but no casualties. Ukraine also said it hit the Proton electronics plant in Oryol, which produces missile components. Regional Governor Andrei Klychkov reported three deaths at an unidentified facility. Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea reported power cuts following overnight attacks. Russia's Defence Ministry stated that air defences intercepted a SCALP cruise missile, four Neptune missiles, and 1,297 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over 24 hours.