Ukraine says satellite speeds are back to normal after two-week slowdown

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 24 that the Starshield satellite communications system is functioning again at its previous speeds. This change ends a period of restrictions that limited military operations for nearly two weeks. Zelenskyy posted on Telegram that the restoration is vital for frontline logistics and for countering jet-powered Shahed drones.

Starshield is a military-focused service created by Elon Musk's SpaceX. It works alongside the company's commercial Starlink network, on which Ukraine relies heavily for communication. Zelenskyy stated that the current speed is now at the level required for operations. Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that monitoring data showed connectivity returning on equipment moving faster than 400 kilometers per hour, or 250 mph.

Prior to this update, a Ukrainian official familiar with the issue reported that satellite links were dropping at approximately 161 kilometers per hour, or 100 mph. This speed limit severely restricted Ukraine's ability to track and intercept drones. The constraints prevented interceptors and other vehicles from maintaining a connection while moving at higher velocities. Khmara attributed the resolution to direct dialogue and Zelenskyy's persistent stance on the issue.

It is not yet clear who imposed the initial speed limits. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy on defense technology, suggested a possible link to recent tensions between Kyiv and Washington. However, no formal connection has been established. The Trump administration maintains that the US government did not request changes. Musk has noted that the government controls Starshield, with speed and usage decisions made by the military and ultimately President Donald Trump.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that US officials said Trump called Musk to urge the lifting of restrictions. Following that call, communications became more reliable. When asked about the report, Trump declined to comment but said that if a problem exists, he will get it straightened out. Lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties have asked who authorized the changes and seek guarantees of reliable access for Ukraine.

The reports of limited access emerged while Ukraine expressed concern over other US moves. Zelenskyy and some Western allies argue these actions benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the past two weeks, Trump announced a deal encouraging Russian diesel exports and waived sanctions that were set to take effect under a law he signed last month. He also urged Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries, blaming those attacks for high diesel prices rather than reduced energy flows from the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Zelenskyy initially appeared open to pausing refinery strikes. However, after Putin ordered continued strikes on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was done with unilateral pauses. Fighting continued overnight into October 24. Ukraine's air defense forces reported shooting down 100 of 130 drones launched by Russia. Attacks on 15 locations killed at least two people.

Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck two industrial facilities and a military airport in Russia. One facility in Oryol, about 350 kilometers southwest of Moscow, produces components for cruise and ballistic missiles. The other, in Togliatti in the Samara region, manufactures rubber products used in solid rocket fuel. Most of Russia-occupied Crimea lost electricity in the early hours of the day, affecting Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Kerch, and Feodosia.

NetBlocks recorded an almost complete loss of connectivity in the region. Russian-installed authorities said mobile service reached only 40 percent of the area. Public electric transport was suspended in Sevastopol, and water arrived sporadically at low pressure. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of the occupation administration, blamed a disruption to main power lines outside Crimea caused by a drone attack. Ukrainian monitoring channels reported a fire at the Taman electrical substation in Russia's Krasnodar region, which supplies Crimea via the Kerch Strait. Ukraine has not commented, and the cause has not been independently confirmed.