Musk says Ukraine breached Starlink terms by using service for drone strikes

Elon Musk said on X that Ukraine employed Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated the platform’s terms of service. He added that the breach was addressed by closing a loophole last week and emphasized that Starshield, a separate system, is controlled by the U.S. government.

Musk described Starlink as essential to Ukraine’s defence, noting it is the only communications system that cannot currently be jammed or destroyed. He warned that disabling the service would cause the Ukrainian front line to collapse, calling the statement a factual observation rather than a threat.

The SpaceX, Tesla and X chief also blamed recent speed restrictions on decisions made by the U.S. military and the president. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that the limits were applied without advance warning, affecting platforms traveling at speeds of 100 mph or higher. Ukrainian officials later reported that broader access to Starlink had been restored, with connections stable at speeds of 250 mph.

President Donald Trump confirmed he had spoken with Musk about the issue but did not provide further details. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the U.S. government was responsible for the slowdown in service.