Zelenskyy says Starlink service in Ukraine restores full operational capacity

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Starlink satellite internet is back at the speed the country needs after a week‑long slowdown that hampered Kyiv’s ability to coordinate defence. The outage began in early March, when Russian cyber‑operations disrupted the network and reduced bandwidth for Ukrainian users. The service returned to full capacity on Wednesday, restoring reliable communications for the armed forces and civilians.

Starlink has been a lifeline for Ukraine since the war began. The country’s ground‑based internet is vulnerable to Russian jamming and sabotage, so the satellite system provides a secure, resilient link for command and control, intelligence sharing and everyday communications. At its peak, more than 100,000 Ukrainian users rely on Starlink, from field commanders to hospitals and schools. The slowdown left many units without the high‑speed links needed to transmit video feeds and coordinate artillery strikes, putting defenders at a disadvantage.

SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company had identified the source of the slowdown and was working to restore full service. Ukrainian officials praised the rapid recovery, noting that the return of high‑speed internet has already helped to improve the efficiency of anti‑aircraft batteries and drone‑control stations. Analysts say the incident highlighted the strategic value of satellite internet in modern warfare and the need for continuous monitoring against cyber threats.

Moving forward, Ukraine will keep a close eye on Starlink’s performance and may request additional capacity from SpaceX. The government is also exploring partnerships with other satellite operators to diversify its communications infrastructure. The restoration of Starlink’s full speed underscores how critical reliable connectivity is for Ukraine’s defence and civilian resilience, and it signals to adversaries that cyber‑attacks on satellite links will be met with swift counter‑measures.