Elon Musk stated that Ukraine’s military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite internet system for offensive drone strikes, as reported earlier by Ars Technica. According to Musk, Ukrainian forces used the service to kill people, prompting a closure of that loophole.
Disputes Over Technical Capabilities
Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations and questioned whether such actions were even possible. The statement arrived nearly two weeks after Ukrainian representatives accused SpaceX of restricting the military’s satellite internet service, which disrupted operations and drone missions. Axios reported that Ukraine relies on Starlink for communications, logistics, and defense against incoming drones, while using Starshield—the US military-controlled variant—for offensive missions.
Musk referenced a post from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioning the use of Starlink for mid-range strikes against enemy military targets, which he argued violated company policies. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor for Zelenskyy, countered this claim on Telegram by explaining that Starlink systems only connect to devices traveling between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour and do not function in Russia. Beskrestnov stated that they physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep or medium-range strikes.
Another former Ukrainian advisor, Serhii Sternenko, added via social media that stationary terminals could be registered by military personnel or civilians, but terminals moving on the move had to be added to a special list connected to the military Starshield system. Sternenko concluded that using civilian Starlink for drone missions was technically impossible, and all satellite-reliant drone missions required Starshield.
Service Restoration and Political Response
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Starlink and Starshield services had been fully restored. Following the removal of the restriction, the Kyiv Independent reported that Ukraine’s military can now connect to devices traveling at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour.
Although Musk initially blamed the US government for the service slowdown, President Donald Trump stated he was not involved and had no knowledge of who throttled SpaceX services. A subsequent report from The Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump asked Musk to lift the restrictions on Ukraine.
