Ukraine Regained Full Starlink Use After a Week of Disruption to Front-Line Operations
Starlink restrictions lifted
Ukraine’s military can again use Starlink satellite links without the speed restrictions, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Saturday. The service supports drones and other fast-moving military equipment. The restrictions affected Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade Starlink service, which Ukraine uses for drone operations and communications. Commanders said the limits led to lost drones and disrupted missions.
Diplomacy and ceasefire efforts
The restoration came as U.S. envoys began a renewed effort to end the war. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a war-ravaged town under Russian occupation in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. The ceasefire was brokered by first lady Melania Trump.
Questions over the restrictions
Officials have not resolved questions about who ordered the interruptions to the satellite internet system, made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Ukraine has relied on Starlink for years as it counters Russian attacks. Fedorov credited “direct dialogue” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington. He said the result mattered most “for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications.”
Key points
- Ukraine’s military says it has regained full Starlink use after more than a week of speed restrictions.
- Commanders reported lost drones and disrupted missions during the restrictions.
- Russia agreed to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month.
- Questions remain about who ordered the Starlink interruptions.