Zelenskyy says US boosted Starlink speeds in Ukraine, but full service still isn't back
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Starlink satellite communication system has not yet resumed full operation at the front lines, so Ukrainian soldiers are unable to perform a number of missions. However, the US did increase Starlink's operating speed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a briefing in Brussels.
Why Ukraine's armed forces need high-speed Starlink
Zelenskyy noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not use Starlink to carry out deep strikes.
"No, we do not use Starlink to launch attacks or retaliatory strikes on Russian territory. That’s why we turned to SpaceX and the White House to give us this capability. If we had it, we certainly would not have made such a request," he said.
The president openly admitted that this was why the Starlink situation had come as a very unpleasant and dangerous surprise for Ukraine.
He explained why Ukrainian forces need Starlink on the front line and what speeds are required for it to work effectively.
"We use Starlink to intercept jet-powered Shahed drones that fly and strike our civilians, killing our families. We use specialized interceptor drones that move at high speeds and rely on Starlink," the president said.
According to him, the US did not disconnect Starlink but reduced its speed.
"And when the speed was reduced, we were unable to shoot down a certain number of these Shaheds. That is very painful and frustrating. In other words, we were unable to protect the population. The Shaheds were flying at speeds of over 400 kilometers per hour, while our speed was reduced to 78 km/h," he explained.
Second, Ukrainian troops use Starlink in occupied territories to strike military targets in mid-range strikes.
"And we can no longer do that," the president noted.
However, Zelenskyy said the most important thing was the people.
"Many people are within range of enemy drones. We use UAVs to deliver water and food to people who have been at their positions for a long time. We use drones and Starlink. So this has affected our ability to protect the population," he said.
Starlink is still operating at reduced speed
According to the president, Ukraine's partners said they had received signals from the White House about restoring Starlink's high-speed capabilities.
"Have they returned to their previous speed? No. But has the speed increased? Yes," he added.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that, according to media reports, Republican senators had proposed that Ukraine suspend strikes on Russian energy facilities for 100 days. In exchange, the US would expand Starlink coverage for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized the US restrictions on Starlink speeds in Ukraine, noting that Germany also pays for the satellite communications service.
