Elon Musk said on Saturday that SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink internet service after the military used it for offensive operations, claiming the activity violated the service's terms of service. Musk stated that "using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed" and that Ukraine's military violated terms by conducting such strikes, a loophole he said SpaceX closed last week.
The restriction came after Ukraine's connectivity issues, which the country said hampered defensive operations for more than a week. The problem emerged during a dispute between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. After US President Donald Trump said he had told Musk to "put it back," the service appeared to be restored by Saturday.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov disputed Musk's account. He said drones using Starlink in Ukraine operate at speeds of 70-90 km/h and do not work on Russian territory, making deep strikes impossible with the civilian service. "Therefore, we physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep strikes and medium-range strikes," Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram, adding that Musk's claim was "very strange."
Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said the military recorded a "stable connection" on Saturday, with drones now reaching speeds exceeding 400 km/h, up from a previous 161 km/h limit. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed speeds were "now where they need to be."
Musk denied being responsible for simultaneous issues with Starshield, a more secure military-grade satellite service also run by SpaceX but controlled by the US government. He said SpaceX had "done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth."
Ukraine uses both Starlink and Starshield for different communications needs. Starlink allows military units to coordinate in remote battlefield areas, while Starshield enables drone operators to see targets in real time. Russia is not authorized to use Starlink, which prevented its use for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory.
The connection issues coincided with tension between Zelensky and Trump over Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian oil refineries. Trump said the strikes pushed global fuel prices higher, though the source material indicates Iran-related factors primarily drove 2024 price increases. Zelensky said the US also threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing if strikes did not stop, a claim Trump denied.