The “SpaceX” founder Elon Musk said Ukraine violated the terms of use of “Starlink” satellite internet — he said the military used the system for “offensive drone strikes”. He says the loophole was closed last week.
He wrote about this on the social network X.
Musk did not provide further details on why he believes the military violated the terms. Ukraine uses “Starlink” for communications, while “Starshield” is used for some air defense missions and to control drones in Russian-occupied territories.
The Presidential Advisor on the Development of Technological Areas of Defense Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov called Muskʼs statement strange. Since February 2026, “Starlink” terminals in Ukraine, in particular in the occupied territories, have a speed limit of 70-90 kmph, and the service does not work in Russia.
According to him, Ukraine cannot use “Starlink” for drone strikes at long and medium distances.
“Starlink” restrictions for Ukrainian military
On the night of October 14, “SpaceX” without warning restricted the operation of “Starshield” terminals, the military version of “Starlink” satellite communications. The “SpaceX” founder Elon Musk said that the “Starshield” systems are controlled by the US government, so their use is determined by the US military, and the final decision is made by the president. The White House called the Starshield restrictions in Ukraine a “technical malfunction”.
On October 15, Babelʼs sources in the Ministry of Defense reported that “Starshield” operation had already resumed and was ongoing. At the same time, Zelensky noted the next day that the network had not yet fully resumed. He separately noted that due to the speed limit, Ukraine had lost the ability to shoot down “Shahed” jet drones.
According to Zelensky, the order to restrict “Starlink” operations in Ukraine came from the US government, and was technically carried out by “SpaceX”. The White House denied this, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent denied it and advised him to be more careful with such statements.
On October 24, the president reported that the operation of “Starlink” and its military version “Starshield” in Ukraine had been resumed at the speed that existed before the restrictions.
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