Ukraine confirms drone satellite links stable at 400 km/h
Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the restoration of high-speed Starlink access, ending a week of operational disruption.
By Petra Murphy ·
Connections are now stable for equipment moving at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour. This specific threshold marks the return of full satellite capability for Ukraine's fastest military assets. The figure serves as the operational benchmark for the restored service.
Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the change on Saturday. He stated that both Starlink and Starshield links are functioning on hardware operating above 250 miles per hour. The minister credited diplomatic efforts with Washington and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for securing the outcome.
The disruption lasted more than a week and hampered drone missions against Russian forces. Ukraine relies heavily on satellite services from Elon Musk's SpaceX for communications and strike operations. The exact originator of the restrictions remains unclear, adding to the confusion during the outage.
US President Donald Trump denied responsibility for the cutoff while defending Musk. The incident strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, which face other pressures over sanctions and leadership. Trump previously suggested that someone other than Zelenskyy should negotiate for Kyiv.
The restoration occurs as the United States works to revive peace talks. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the US are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. This gathering comes 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 also announced agreement on technical-level meetings. Trump claimed that his wife, Melania Trump, secured a local ceasefire in Oleshky in the Kherson region. Ukrainian and Russian statements set the start of that ceasefire for October 27, with a humanitarian operation planned for October 29.
