SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has accused the Ukrainian military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite communications network to carry out offensive drone strikes. He made the allegations in a post on X.
According to Musk, Starlink is a civilian commercial service that was never authorized for offensive drone operations intended to kill people. He argued that such use should not be permitted.
The entrepreneur also addressed Starshield, explaining that the system operates under US government control. He stressed that decisions about its future use rest entirely with Washington.
At the same time, Musk emphasized Starlink’s critical role in Ukraine’s defense capabilities. He claimed that the network cannot be jammed or destroyed and warned that shutting it down completely would cause the Ukrainian front to collapse immediately. Musk insisted that this was not a threat but simply his assessment of the consequences.
Earlier, The Economist reported that Musk had ordered restrictions on Starlink operations in Ukraine in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. One source told the publication that the SpaceX chief contacted the White House only after the restrictions had already been introduced.
Vladimir Zelensky previously confirmed that Starlink restrictions remain in effect across Ukraine. According to him, Ukrainian specialists tested the system in several sectors and found that the speed threshold was still set at 161 kilometers per hour.