Elon Musk has stated that SpaceX limited Ukraine’s Starlink internet connectivity after Ukrainian officials indicated that the service was back online.
The billionaire alleged that Ukraine breached Starlink’s terms by employing the network for military purposes, while disavowing responsibility for any concurrent problems with the separate, U.S.‑operated Starshield system.
Kyiv has not issued an official response to Musk’s newest assertion; however, presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov described the post as “very strange.”
Musk previously denied intentionally throttling Ukraine’s connection, which Kyiv says hindered defensive operations for over a week.
The dispute surfaced last week amid heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv concerning Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities.
Musk’s newest remarks, coinciding with the apparent restoration of the service, followed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he had urged the Tesla and X owner to “put it back,” despite earlier denials of having directed any limitation.
“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk posted on X on Saturday.
“Ukraine’s military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”
He added that SpaceX “has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth” and reiterated that Starshield is a separate, U.S.‑government‑controlled system, noting, “What they decide to do is up to them.”
In a subsequent post, he clarified: “[Starlink] can be used for military‑related infrastructure, but it cannot be used for unequivocally offensive strikes that make it fair game to be struck back.”
In response to Musk’s post, Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram that Starlink terminals in Ukraine have a speed cap of 70‑90 km/h and do not function on Russian soil.
“Therefore, we physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep strikes and medium‑range strikes,” he said.
“It is very strange that Elon Musk is not aware of Starlink restrictions in Ukraine.”
No immediate comment came from Ukraine’s defence ministry.
Ukraine utilizes both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield, selecting each based on operational requirements; both operate via SpaceX’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite constellations.
Starlink enables military units to coordinate, especially in remote battlefield zones, whereas Starshield provides Ukrainian drone operators with real‑time target visualization and the capability to control interceptor drones.
Russia is prohibited from using Starlink; consequently, when Ukraine launches long‑range missiles or drones deep into Russian territory to strike oil refineries, the network does not function.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara reported on Saturday that the military now enjoys a “stable connection,” with drones capable of exceeding 400 km/h (249 mph); Kyiv had previously indicated that connectivity would be lost at speeds above 161 km/h.
“The speeds are now where they need to be,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on Telegram.
Also Read
- Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot emerges as Netanyahu’s leading election challenger
- Disenchanted Netanyahu supporters are prize of Israel election campaign
- Widespread Demonstrations Sweep Italy Amidst Rising Economic and Political Tensions
- Hong Kong’s Peak Lighting Trial Sparks Natural Beauty Debate
