Ukraine’s defense ministry reported on Saturday that full access to the Starshield satellite system has been restored. This development comes two days after US President Donald Trump indicated that Elon Musk had reinstated the military-grade version of his Starlink internet service.
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Yevheniy Khmara stated that internal monitoring systems are now registering a recovery in connection speeds. “We are recording speeds exceeding 400 km/h; the connection is stable,” Khmara said, confirming that the defense ministry is continuing to monitor the situation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky later affirmed that Starlink and Starshield operations have returned to their pre-restriction levels. He emphasized that these services are vital for Ukrainian frontline logistics and for defense efforts against jet-powered Shahed drones. Prior to this, restrictions had hindered military operations for over a week, preventing the effective use of interceptor drones against high-speed targets. Describing them as “crucial for our frontline logistics and for defending Ukraine against jet-propelled Shaheds.”, he stressed the importance of the services.
Despite the restoration, there are indications of varying performance levels. A source in the Donetsk region reported Saturday morning that speeds remained capped at 160 kilometers per hour. Before the restoration, Ukrainian officials had expressed concern over persistent limits, with Kyiv’s charge d’affaires in Washington, Denys Sienik, noting that the country had been receiving mixed messages regarding the service disruptions.
A person familiar with the matter revealed that President Trump had contacted Musk in recent days to request the restoration of full access after Ukrainian officials reported the slowdown. When asked about his involvement, Trump told reporters, “Whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line – he put it back.” Trump had previously denied being involved in the speed throttling, while Musk suggested in a social media post last week that limits on usage are determined by the US military and the President. Pressed Friday by Alayna Treene on who ordered the slowdown in the first place, Trump said: “I have no idea, but I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”.
The impact of the connection issues was significant, as Ukrainian officers reported that drops in service complicated coordination and damaged reconnaissance capabilities. Denys Sienik had explained that the previous 100-mile-per-hour speed limit made it impossible to maintain contact with drones tracking Russian aircraft flying at speeds exceeding 300 miles per hour. According to sienik, currently Kyiv’s top diplomat in Washington,, The speed limit is currently set at 100 miles per hour, at which point connection with the drone is lost, making it difficult to intercept fast-moving Russian dro. Russia has been launching jet-powered drones flying at speeds surpassing 300 miles per hour, “which are causing more destruction and claiming the lives of Ukrainians,” he said. According to a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer previously, How the restrictions were complicating Kyiv’s war effort. “It makes coordination difficult; sometimes there are interruptions. The connection drops out for 10 to 15 seconds,” the officer said. “We lost a lot of assets, much more than usual,” they added, saying the restrictions have affected reconnaissance drones and drones with Starlink-equipped systems on board. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, russia launched 176 attack drones on Thursday night and in the overnight hours.
Beyond the satellite connectivity issues, the conflict continues to take a heavy toll. President Zelensky noted that Ukraine remains in critical need of US-made Patriot interceptors, expressing hope for upcoming meetings with American negotiators. Meanwhile, recent attacks have caused widespread disruption; at least nine civilians were killed and 76 injured across Ukraine in the last day. Additionally, Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left over 500,000 people without power on Friday, and regional officials reported ongoing damage in the Sumy region. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its forces targeted military depots and ports while intercepting 443 Ukrainian drones, resulting in debris that injured three civilians in the Nizhny Novgorod region. According to zelensky, He hopes Ukraine will have another meeting with American negotiators in the coming week, which follows his talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday. But they are still not coming.”, we are waiting for interceptors that were already agreed on. According to the country’s State Emergency Service also, A series of attacks on the Sumy region hit civilian infrastructure and residential areas. According to russia’s Ministry of Defense, It hit a railcar depot used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the central Poltava region and the Danube River port of Vylkove in southern Ukraine. Victoria Butenko, Lucas Lilieholm, DJ Judd and Lex Harvey contributed to this report.
