Musk says SpaceX limited Ukraine's Starlink use after alleged terms breach, service now restored

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX had limited Ukraine's use of the civilian Starlink satellite internet service after the Ukrainian military allegedly employed it for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated the network's terms of service. Musk posted on X that "Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it" and added that the restriction was lifted last week.

He emphasized that SpaceX's separate, U.S.-run Starshield system, which is intended for military applications, remains under U.S. government control, stating, "What they decide to do is up to them." Musk also noted that while Starlink can support military infrastructure, it should not be used for unequivocally offensive strikes.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara later reported a "stable connection" with drones achieving speeds above 400 km/h, suggesting the previous speed limit of 70-90 km/h has been removed. The Ukrainian military uses both Starlink for coordination in remote areas and Starshield for real-time targeting and interceptor drone operations.

President Donald Trump said he had instructed Musk to "put it back," after Musk had denied deliberately throttling the service. The restoration of Starlink follows broader tensions over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities, which have affected global fuel prices and prompted diplomatic discussions between the United States and Russia.