Ukraine confirms full satellite speeds restored for drone operations

Ukrainian military forces have regained full access to high-speed satellite internet, ending a period of restricted connectivity that hampered drone operations. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara confirmed on Saturday that the network is stable, allowing drones to travel at speeds exceeding 400km/h. He stated that the restoration is critical for frontline soldiers, logistics, and communications.

The capability to pilot drones at these speeds indicates that the full technical functionality of the Starlink and Starshield networks has returned. Ukrainian forces rely heavily on this infrastructure, which consists of 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites, to coordinate operations across the battlefield. The military uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure, military-grade Starshield system. Elon Musk, the owner of Starlink, has indicated that the US military controls Starshield, suggesting the Pentagon may have been involved in the recent technical issues.

Last week, Ukrainian officials accused US President Donald Trump of instructing Musk to impose speed limits on the network. Under those restrictions, drones reportedly lost their connection when traveling at 161km/h or faster. Trump denied giving such an order but later acknowledged that Musk had restored the service. The technical dispute arose during a wider diplomatic disagreement between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.

Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, meaning the network does not function when Ukraine launches long-range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory to target oil refineries. Trump has argued that these strikes push global fuel prices higher, while Kyiv maintains that the attacks are essential for cutting off Moscow's primary revenue source for the war effort. Zelensky also claimed the US threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes continued, a claim Trump denied.

With midterm elections approaching next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel for the US market, a move criticized by Ukraine and its European allies. Global fuel prices have risen this year, though analysts attribute the increases primarily to the ongoing war in Iran rather than the Ukrainian strikes alone.

On the ground, fighting continued on Saturday. Russia's defence ministry reported that air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, which targeted several regions including Russian-annexed Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said electricity and water restrictions were implemented because the drone strikes caused power cuts.

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