Zelenskiy says Starlink and Starshield are back to full speed after a week of restrictions

As of 4:12 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Saturday that Starlink and its military version, Starshield, have returned to the speeds they had before a week of restrictions that Ukraine said limited their use on fast-moving drones.

"The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, Reuters reported.

"The restoration began overnight, and by morning the speeds were already sufficient to use this connection," he said, according to LB.ua's English translation of the address. He thanked Americans and Ukraine's partners and said Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara had reported that checks confirmed the systems were working, LB.ua reported.

What Kyiv says changed

Ukraine's defense ministry said Saturday that the connection was stable at speeds of more than 400 kph (250 mph), Reuters reported. Ukraine said earlier this week that the systems had been capped at about 160 kph, according to Reuters.

Zelenskiy said restoring the speeds matters for logistics at the front and for protecting Ukraine from jet-powered Shahed drones, LB.ua reported.

Neither Starlink owner Elon Musk nor the U.S. government has acknowledged responsibility for the restriction, Reuters reported.