Key facts
- Ukraine's Starshield satellite internet system is operating at normal speeds, President Zelensky confirmed.
- Elon Musk claimed Ukraine's military violated Starlink terms of service for offensive drone strikes.
- Ukrainian officials denied misusing Starlink, citing technical limitations and whitelisting processes.
- Russian attacks killed eight people and injured 51 across Ukraine over the past day.
- The Kremlin is ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. after Nov. 4.
Ukraine's Starshield satellite internet system is operating at normal speeds, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Oct. 24, after Elon Musk claimed Ukraine had violated Starlink's terms of service. Zelensky stated that speeds were now where they needed to be, thanking those who helped resolve the issue. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour with stable connections.
Elon Musk, however, posted on X that Ukraine's military had used Starlink for offensive drone strikes, a "loophole" that has since been closed. He asserted that turning off Starlink would cause the Ukrainian front line to collapse immediately. Ukrainian officials, including former Defense Ministry adviser Serhii Sternenko and presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, denied Musk's claims, explaining that technical restrictions and a military Starshield system prevent commercial Starlink terminals from being used for deep strikes or operating in Russian territory.
In parallel, Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day killed eight people and injured 51. A drone strike in Vinnytsia damaged a residential building, while other attacks targeted multiple regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Chernihiv oblasts.
Separately, the Kremlin indicated readiness to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. after Nov. 4, according to foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. He described the potential meeting as a "trial run" and did not anticipate significant immediate results.