By Paul Joseph
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has accused Ukraine’s military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by allegedly using the satellite internet system to support offensive drone attacks, even as Kyiv announced the restoration of access to the service.
Musk made the allegation in a post on X on Saturday, claiming that Ukrainian forces had used Starlink to carry out drone strikes intended to kill people.
He said the loophole had been closed the previous week, referring to restrictions that reportedly limited the speed of affected satellite terminals to 100 miles per hour.
Musk also clarified that Starshield, a military-grade satellite communications system, operates separately from the commercial Starlink service and is controlled by the United States government.
He stressed that Starlink remained essential to Ukraine’s defence, warning that shutting down the service entirely could cause the country’s frontline positions to collapse immediately.
However, Ukrainian officials and a former defence ministry adviser rejected Musk’s allegation, arguing that technical restrictions and the unavailability of commercial Starlink over Russian territory made the system unsuitable for the medium- and long-range drone operations described.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, disputed the claim that Ukraine was using commercial Starlink to conduct attacks inside Russia.
Similarly, Serhiy Sternenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, said his experience within the ministry led him to reject Musk’s account.
Sternenko maintained that drone missions requiring satellite communications could only be conducted using Starshield, rather than the civilian Starlink system.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence announced on Saturday that access to both Starlink and Starshield had been restored following a period of disruption that affected military communications.
The announcement followed US President Donald Trump’s reported intervention, after he said he had asked Musk to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s access to the military-grade satellite service.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara said the ministry’s monitoring systems had recorded a recovery in Starlink and Starshield speeds, with readings exceeding 400 kilometres per hour.
The restrictions had reportedly remained in place for more than a week, affecting Ukrainian forces’ ability to intercept fast-moving Russian drones.
However, Trump and senior US officials denied making the decision to throttle Ukraine’s use of Starshield, while Musk had previously indicated on social media that the Trump administration was behind the restrictions.
The dispute comes amid continuing attacks between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched more than 153 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, with attacks mainly targeting large department stores and warehouses.
At least three people were killed and 25 others injured, according to the authorities.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, claimed that Ukrainian attacks killed at least two people and injured 22 others.
It also said Russian forces intercepted 532 Ukrainian drones, while industrial facilities were struck in several regions.
The conflicting accounts over Starlink highlight the strategic importance of satellite communications in the war, as both sides continue to rely on drones and other technologies in military operations.
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