SpaceX CEO Elon Musk admitted his company recently restricted Starlink connectivity for the Ukrainian forces, hindering critical military missions against Russia.
Musk acknowledged the Starlink speed restrictions in a Saturday X post and said it was due to Ukraine allegedly violating terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes. He also added that the “loophole was closed last week.”
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov rejected the allegations, saying Starlink cannot be used for long-range or mid-range strikes inside Russia because the service does not operate there.
Many of the Ukrainian drones need satellite internet to locate and shoot down Russian targets.
SpaceX also operates Starshield, a military-grade service for defense use. Musk again asserted that the US government controls changes to Starshield. The disruption strained relations between Kyiv and Washington.
The Starlink speed restoration coincided with new US diplomatic efforts, including a localized ceasefire around Oleshky brokered by First Lady Melania Trump. However, hostilities continued across multiple fronts.