Elon Musk admitted on Saturday that SpaceX deliberately throttled Starlink service in Ukraine, accusing the Ukrainian military of violating the satellite network's terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes — a claim Kyiv has not confirmed and says it was never told about.
"Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week," Musk wrote on X.
"Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be," he added. "Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them."
Ten days of disruption on the front line
The admission came hours after Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Starlink and Starshield had returned to their required speeds, ending a disruption that had lasted more than a week.
Since October 14, SpaceX had imposed speed restrictions on Starshield in Ukraine that cut connectivity for drones moving at around 160 kilometres an hour or slower, forcing Ukrainian forces to fly their drones at low speeds that made them easier for Russian forces to shoot down. Ukrainian officials said the slowdown complicated drone missions, frontline logistics and communications, and hurt efforts to intercept Russian attack drones.
On Saturday, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said drone tests showed the connection was stable again at speeds of more than 400 kilometres an hour. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the restoration on Telegram.
"The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need," Zelenskyy said. "The restoration began overnight, and by this morning, speeds were already sufficient to use this communication service. This is crucial. This really matters: for our frontline logistics, for defending Ukraine against jet-powered 'shaheds'."
Who ordered the slowdown?
The restoration did not resolve the dispute over who ordered the restrictions. Musk initially claimed in a social media post that the US government was responsible, writing that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." President Donald Trump then said he had no knowledge of the slowdown.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Musk himself authorized the speed limitations, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter. The Journal reported that Trump called Musk on Wednesday and asked him to restore Ukraine's Starshield service — and the improvement came after that call.
Neither Musk's post nor the Defense Department has named a specific violation. Ukraine's government says it has received no communication from SpaceX about any alleged breach of the terms of service.
"Were Starlink to be turned off, the front line would collapse"
Musk defended SpaceX's record in Ukraine while lashing out at critics of his decision.
"Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact," he wrote.
"Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR," Musk added.
"I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story."
Ukraine relies on Starlink to intercept Russian drones and missiles, and Kyiv has repeatedly warned that any interruption costs lives on the battlefield. Ukrainian officials maintain the country does not depend on Starlink for long-range drone attacks inside Russia, but say the system remains vital for communications near the front lines.