Ukraine says Starlink connection 'now stable' after network limits

Key Points:

• Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced that stable and improved connectivity to Starlink has been restored, allowing drone operations at speeds over 400 km/h, crucial for military logistics and communications.
• The military relies heavily on Starlink and its secure counterpart, Starshield, for drone piloting and battlefield operations, especially in remote areas, though the network does not function within Russian territory.
• The connectivity issues began amid a diplomatic dispute involving former US President Donald Trump, who was accused of instructing Elon Musk to limit Starlink's capabilities in Ukraine; Trump denied these claims, and Musk reportedly restored full service.
• The controversy coincided with Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which Trump criticized for raising global fuel prices, and led to tensions over US intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
• Russia reported shooting down 616 Ukrainian drones in recent attacks, causing power and water outages in Russian-annexed Crimea due to damage from the strikes.