Elon Musk stated that SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s Starlink internet service, citing violations of the company’s terms of service. The announcement came after Ukrainian officials confirmed that connectivity issues had been resolved. The tech billionaire accused Kyiv of using the civilian network for military operations, specifically offensive drone strikes.
Ukraine Starlink restriction details
Musk wrote on X that using Starlink for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been permitted. He claimed that a loophole allowing such use was closed last week. The restriction coincided with a diplomatic standoff between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Musk denied being responsible for issues with Starshield, a separate, US-run military-grade service.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov described Musk’s post as very strange. He stated that Ukraine physically cannot use the commercial Starlink service for long and middle-range drone strikes. The Ukrainian defence ministry did not immediately comment on the latest claims.
Ukraine relies on both Starlink and Starshield for its military communications. Starlink allows units to coordinate in remote areas, while Starshield helps drone operators see targets in real time. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, which means the network does not function when Ukraine sends drones deep into Russian territory to hit refineries.
Service restoration and US intervention
The connection issues emerged last week, hampering Ukraine’s ability to conduct defensive operations. Musk had previously denied deliberately throttling the service. The situation changed after US President Donald Trump said he instructed Musk to restore the connection. Trump had repeatedly denied ordering the limitation of the service.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara reported on Saturday that the military was recording a stable connection. Drones can now reach speeds exceeding 400km/h. Kyiv had previously stated that the connection would cut out above 161km/h. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Telegram that speeds were now where they needed to be.
The dispute over Starlink occurred against a backdrop of rising fuel prices in the US. Trump argued that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries pushed global prices higher. Faced with midterm elections and domestic displeasure, Trump waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed to a deal to supply Russian diesel to the US market. Zelensky had initially agreed to stop the strikes if Russia ceased attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but resumed them after Moscow disregarded the condition.
Musk did not disclose why SpaceX chose to make the change last week, despite Ukraine’s extensive use of Starlink being known for several years. He reiterated that Starshield is a different system controlled by the US government. He added that while Starlink can support military infrastructure, it cannot be used for unequivocally offensive strikes that make it fair game to be struck back.
Source: BBC
