Ukraine restores Starlink connections ahead of scheduled Abu Dhabi talks

Ukraine has regained full access to Starlink satellite networks following more than a week of connectivity curbs that disrupted frontline drone strikes, Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on Saturday.

Khmara confirmed that standard Starlink and military-grade Starshield links are now functioning reliably on gear moving at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour (250 miles per hour). He attributed the restoration to diplomatic engagement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and bilateral discussions with officials in Washington. The Ukrainian military depends significantly on the SpaceX satellite constellation to coordinate battlefield movements and execute aerial drone flights against invading Russian forces.

The origin of the recent operational limits has not been established. United States President Donald Trump disputed that he had directed any curbs while speaking in defence of SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The connectivity issue surfaced amid heightened tension between Kyiv and Washington, sparked by a recent US decision to briefly suspend sanctions on Russian diesel to permit American imports. The friction deepened after Trump publicly urged Ukraine to replace its leadership and argued that an alternative representative should negotiate on Kyiv's behalf instead of Zelenskyy.

The technical resolution coincides with preparations for trilateral diplomatic sessions involving Ukrainian, Russian, and American envoys in Abu Dhabi during early November. Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov affirmed the scheduled gathering on Friday, and Zelenskyy separately confirmed that technical discussions had been arranged. The diplomatic push also follows a localised humanitarian ceasefire announced for the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Kherson, set to take effect on October 27 ahead of aid efforts planned for October 29.

Despite upcoming diplomatic talks, deadly cross-border strikes persisted across several regions. In northeastern Ukraine, a Russian missile hit Lozova in Kharkiv, killing one person and injuring two, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Officials in Chernihiv reported one death and at least 25 injuries following strikes on Friday, while separate bombardments in Donetsk left one person dead in Kramatorsk and killed an elderly woman in Sloviansk.

Ukrainian forces launched reciprocal operations against industrial and military targets inside Russian territory. Strikes hit the Togliattikauchuk synthetic rubber facility in Togliatti, where local officials confirmed structural damage without casualties. Ukrainian forces also targeted the Proton electronics factory in Oryol, which Kyiv identifies as a supplier of missile components; local governor Andrei Klychkov confirmed three fatalities at an unnamed site. Additionally, officials in Russian-controlled Crimea documented electrical outages linked to overnight strikes, while the Russian Defence Ministry claimed its forces downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones and multiple cruise missiles over a single day.