Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Friday that speed limitations continue affecting the US Starshield military satellite communications system across the country’s front lines and occupied territories. The ongoing restrictions, he stated, complicate the military’s capacity to intercept Iranian-designed Shaheds and respond to other drone threats. Zelenskyy indicated that the limitations also send an unintended message to Russia regarding American positioning on territories under Russian control, and he called on Ukraine’s defense and foreign ministries to resolve the matter with US authorities.
Ukrainian officials attributed the throttling to SpaceX, which abruptly capped speeds for both Starlink and its military counterpart Starshield in mid-October during tensions over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Service was restored on 24 October, though Zelenskyy reported on Thursday that disruptions had occurred over several consecutive days. He reiterated that the restrictions significantly impair the military’s operational effectiveness.
Russia conducted military operations against Ukrainian civilian targets on Friday. A hospital in central Kyiv near multiple western embassies was struck by a drone, injuring three people. Russia claimed to have intercepted approximately 1,200 Ukrainian drones in a overnight operation it characterized as one of the largest Ukrainian swarms, reporting at least four fatalities in the Volgograd region.
Meanwhile, car bombings within Russian territory killed a senior military official in St Petersburg and severely injured a former associate of Ukraine’s exiled former prime minister in Moscow, marking the latest in a series of attacks believed connected to Kyiv. Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia and Odesa on Friday resulted in at least three deaths and dozens injured, with significant damage to residential structures reported in both cities.
In domestic developments, a SBU general facing corruption allegations was released from pre-trial detention after posting $1.2m bail. The general was detained as part of an anti-corruption investigation targeting an alleged criminal network involving security and law enforcement personnel. The EU’s foreign policy chief warned against engagement with Russian security proposals, characterizing Moscow’s approach as a distraction from its military aggression.
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