Musk blames Ukraine for Starlink drone use, officials say speed caps already blocked it

Elon Musk accused Ukraine of breaking Starlink terms of service by using the commercial satellite network for offensive drone strikes. In a post on Saturday, Musk stated that using a civilian service to kill people was never allowed. He claimed the loophole was closed last week when SpaceX imposed restrictions on drones flying above certain speeds.

Ukrainian officials quickly pushed back against the claim. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted on Telegram on Sunday that the allegation was physically impossible. Beskrestnov explained that all Starlink terminals on Ukrainian territory, including areas occupied by Russia, already faced a movement speed limit between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour. He added that the system does not function over Russian territory.

One current and one former Ukrainian official denied Musk's accusation, stating that previous limits from SpaceX had already prevented the military from using the technology in the manner described. These officials also suggested that Musk was throttling access to Starshield, the military version of the service that Ukraine accesses through a deal with the United States government.

Musk drew a sharp line between the two systems in his original message. He wrote that Starshield is controlled by the US government and that its usage decisions are up to Washington. According to Musk, the Ukraine military specifically violated the Starlink terms by using it for lethal strikes.

The dispute began nearly two weeks ago. Zelenskyy stated over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted, potentially ending the controversy. The lifting of these restrictions follows the speed caps that Musk cited as the reason for the violation.