Ministry of Defense: “Starshield” in Ukraine began operating at speeds of more than 161 kmph

The Defense Forces and specialists of the Ministry of Defense recorded that as of the morning of October 24, “Starlink”/“Starshield” began operating in Ukraine at a speed of more than 161 kmph.

This was reported to Babel by sources in the Ministry of Defense.

Specialists continue to monitor and conduct tests at higher speeds, determine upper limits, and determine the extent to which this connection has actually been restored.

UPD 10:55: Minister of Defense Yevheniy Khmara, in response to questions from journalists, reported that Ukraine has recorded the operation of “Starlink”/“Starshield” at a speed of over 400 kmph, the connection is stable. Monitoring and recording of the operation continue.

What preceded

On the night of October 14, “SpaceX” without warning restricted the operation of “Starshield” terminals, the military version of “Starlink” satellite communications. The “SpaceX” founder Elon Musk said that the “Starshield” systems are controlled by the US government, so their use is determined by the US military, and the final decision is made by the president. The White House called the Starshield restrictions in Ukraine a “technical malfunction”.

On October 15, Babelʼs sources in the Ministry of Defense reported that the “Starshield” operation had already resumed and was ongoing. At the same time, Zelensky noted the next day that the network had not yet fully resumed. He separately noted that due to the speed limit, Ukraine had lost the ability to shoot down “Shahed” jet drones.

According to Zelensky, the order to restrict “Starlink” operations in Ukraine came from the US government, and was technically carried out by “SpaceX”. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied this and advised him to be more careful with such statements.

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