Fedorov announced the restoration of Starlink for Ukrainian military

In Ukraine, on the evening of October 14, the restoration of Starlink satellite communications while moving at speeds up to 160 km/h began. This will allow the resumption of use of satellite terminals on Ukrainian strike drones and interceptor drones after restrictions imposed by SpaceX.

Former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov reported this on social network X.

According to him, Starlink operation at speeds up to 160 km/h is being restored, allowing Ukrainian drones to return to tasks that were previously hindered due to communication disruptions.

Fedorov emphasized that restrictions on the Starshield military service have not yet been completely lifted. He named restoring satellite communications at higher speeds as the next task.

The former minister did not disclose details of the agreements with SpaceX or the timeline for the complete lifting of restrictions.

Starlink problems emerged on the night of October 14. SpaceX, without prior notice to the Ukrainian military, imposed restrictions on the use of Starshield military package satellite terminals while in motion.

The established threshold was about 160 km/h. When exceeded, the terminals lost connection to the satellite network. Meanwhile, according to sources in the Ministry of Defense, some units recorded interruptions already at speeds from 72 km/h.

The changes complicated the execution of tasks by Ukrainian unmanned systems, including the use of interceptor drones. The military also reported problems with logistics, reconnaissance, and data transmission.

Advisor to the President of Ukraine on defense technology development Serhiy Beskrestnov confirmed the introduction of restrictions and reported that they led to the disruption of a number of military operations.

After the problems arose, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine began consultations with representatives of the US, NATO, and SpaceX. The military department also began collecting information from units and checking backup communication channels.

President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the situation. In an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, he called the Starlink restrictions a serious mistake and warned that satellite communication problems could negatively affect Ukraine's ability to protect the population from Russian air attacks.

Fedorov's evening message indicates the beginning of the restoration of the system's operation, but the complete lifting of speed restrictions for Starshield has not yet been announced. SpaceX has also not publicly explained the reasons for the initial restriction of access.

Based on materials from: Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrinform, LB.ua, Kurs Ukrainy.