Ukraine says Starlink service restored after week‑long disruption

Ukraine announced on Saturday that the restrictions on its military’s Starlink satellite connections have been lifted, ending more than a week of disruption that hampered drone operations against Russian forces.

Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said the Starlink and Starshield links are now stable on equipment travelling above 400 km per hour (250 mph). He attributed the restoration to talks with Washington and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts.

The source of the restrictions remains unclear. US President Donald Trump denied responsibility while defending SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The episode has added tension to the already strained Kyiv‑Washington relationship, which has been under pressure over Trump’s temporary lift of sanctions on Russian diesel and his calls for a new Ukrainian president.

The lifting of the limits comes as the United States seeks to revive peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November, a meeting confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and announced by President Zelenskyy.

In the meantime, both sides reported continued violence. A Russian missile strike on Lozova in Kharkiv region killed one person and wounded two, while attacks in Chernihiv, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk also caused casualties. Ukraine said it struck targets inside Russia, including a petrochemical plant in Togliatti and an electronics plant in Oryol.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defences intercepted a SCALP cruise missile, four Neptune missiles and 1,297 Ukrainian drones over a 24‑hour period, though the figures could not be independently verified.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: William Carvalho / Pexels.