SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has accused Ukraine’s military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite internet network for offensive drone attacks, as Kyiv reports that access to Starlink and Starshield has been restored following recent restrictions.
In a post on X on Saturday, Musk alleged that Ukrainian forces had “violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people.” He added that the loophole had been closed the previous week, referring to restrictions that reportedly limited connection speeds to 100 miles per hour.
Musk also emphasized that Starshield, a military-focused satellite communications system, operates separately from commercial Starlink and is controlled by the US government.
Despite his criticism, Musk acknowledged Ukraine’s dependence on the satellite network, describing Starlink as critical to the country’s defense. He warned that shutting down the service entirely could cause Ukraine’s front line to collapse immediately.
Ukrainian officials, however, strongly disputed Musk’s allegations.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, rejected the claim that Ukraine had used commercial Starlink for attacks inside Russia. He argued that speed restrictions and the service’s unavailability over Russian territory made it technically impossible for Ukrainian forces to use commercial Starlink for medium- and long-range drone strikes.
Serhiy Sternenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, also challenged Musk’s account. Drawing on his experience with the defense ministry, Sternenko said the allegations were inaccurate.
He maintained that civilian Starlink terminals could not support the drone missions in question and claimed that operations requiring satellite communications could only be conducted using Starshield.
The dispute comes as Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that full access to Starlink and Starshield had been restored.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara said monitoring systems had detected a recovery in connection speeds across both services. According to his statement, speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour were being recorded, suggesting that the restrictions affecting military operations had eased.
For more than a week, Ukrainian forces had reportedly faced speed limits on Starshield terminals used by the military, complicating efforts to intercept fast-moving Russian drones.
The restrictions also triggered political controversy in Washington. US President Donald Trump reportedly said he had asked Musk to lift limitations affecting Ukraine’s access to the military-grade satellite communications system.
However, Trump and senior US officials denied making the call to restrict Ukraine’s use of Starshield. Musk, meanwhile, said in a social media post the previous week that the Trump administration was responsible for the ban.
The disagreement highlights Ukraine’s reliance on satellite communications for battlefield coordination, surveillance and drone operations, while raising questions about the control and availability of privately operated technology during wartime.
Meanwhile, fighting continued across both countries. Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched more than 153 unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, targeting locations including large department stores and warehouses. At least three people were killed and 25 others injured in the attacks, according to Ukrainian officials.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, reported that Ukrainian attacks had killed at least two people and injured 22 others. The ministry said Russian air defenses had intercepted 532 Ukrainian drones and reported strikes on industrial facilities across several regions.
The competing accusations over Starlink come as both sides continue to rely on drones and advanced communications technology, underscoring the strategic importance of satellite networks in the ongoing conflict.