Ukraine's Defense Chief Confirms Drone Speeds Return to 400km/h
Yevhenii Khmara stated that full satellite connectivity has been restored after days of restrictions that limited military operations.
By Aisha Saeed ·
Ukrainian drones can once again travel at speeds exceeding 400km/h on the Starlink network. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced the restoration of full capability in a statement on Saturday. The update follows several days of restricted connectivity that forced the military to adapt to lower speed limits.
Khmara described the recovery as vital for the front lines, soldiers, drone operations, logistics, and communications. The military relies on Starlink and its military-grade version, Starshield, to pilot drones and manage operations across Ukraine. The network consists of 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites and is essential in remote battlefield areas.
Ukrainian officials previously accused US President Donald Trump of ordering Starlink owner Elon Musk to impose these limits. Under the restrictions, drones reportedly lost their signal when moving at 161km/h or faster. Trump denied issuing such an instruction but later stated that Musk had resolved the issue. Musk indicated that the US military controls Starshield and suggested the Pentagon may have been behind the recent disruptions.
The connectivity issues arose amid a diplomatic dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The disagreement centers on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. With US midterm elections approaching next month, Trump waived certain sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel. Ukraine and its European allies criticized this move. Trump argued that the strikes on refineries raised global prices, while Kyiv maintained that the attacks were necessary to cut Moscow's war revenue.
Zelensky stated that the US also threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if the strikes continued. Trump denied this threat. The global fuel price increases observed this year are primarily attributed to the Iran war, though the refinery strikes have also had an effect. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, meaning the network fails when Ukraine launches long-range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory.
Fighting continued on the ground during the weekend. The Russian defence ministry reported on Telegram that its air defences shot down 616 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones on Saturday. These drones struck several regions, including the Russian-annexed territory of Crimea. Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea, said restrictions on electricity and water were implemented because the drone strike caused power cuts.
Ukrainian authorities reported that in the past 24 hours, they targeted a missile component manufacturer, a chemical plant, and an aircraft at a military airfield inside Russia. They also stated that Russia executed 88 air strikes on Friday, deploying 309 glide bombs and 10,270 kamikaze drones.
Source: BBC News
