Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence said Oct. 24 that military equipment moving faster than 400 km/h retained Starlink and Starshield connections, a reported change the defense minister said mattered for logistics and drone operations.
The figure describes how fast the connected equipment was moving, not the rate of internet data transfer. The ministry characterized its readings as a recovery in operating speeds and said it would continue monitoring both services. Its statement did not specify a maximum movement speed or say the result applied to every terminal.
The announcement came a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said speed limits remained in place and speed had not been restored. Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said the reported change mattered for troops, drone operations, logistics and communications. He credited direct dialogue and Zelenskyy’s position, but the ministry did not explain what operational change produced the readings.
Zelenskyy said Oct. 19 that the restrictions hurt supply operations near the front and Ukraine’s strikes at medium range, while limiting its ability to defend against “shaheds.” EconoTimes previously covered Ukrainian concerns that a movement-speed limit disrupted drone missions. SpaceX says Starshield adapts its Starlink system for government satellite communications.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s Oct. 22 inquiry said accounts differ over who ordered and put the restrictions into effect. He requested written responses from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and SpaceX by Nov. 5.
