Musk Claims Ukraine Violated Starlink Terms, Service Restored
Source reports published 25 Oct 2026, 10:24 am – 26 Oct 2026, 1:35 am AEST
Elon Musk stated Ukraine’s military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using the service for offensive drone strikes, leading to a temporary restriction. Following this, service was restored, with Ukraine disputing Musk’s claims regarding operational limitations.
What happened
- Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, asserted that Ukraine’s military had violated Starlink’s terms of service by utilizing the civilian satellite internet network for offensive drone strikes intended to ‘kill people.’
- He claimed this loophole was closed last week.
- SpaceX had reportedly restricted Ukraine’s Starlink connection for more than a week, hindering its defensive operations.
- Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, refuted Musk’s claims, stating that existing speed restrictions on the civilian Starlink system made such offensive use impossible.
- These restrictions, a speed limit of 70-90km/h, prevented deep strikes and medium-range attacks.
- Musk attributed the initial throttling to the U.S. military, stating that any changes were decided by POTUS.
- Donald Trump indicated he spoke with Musk about the issue, though he denied authorizing the restriction.
- Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that it had regained broader access to Starlink, with connections remaining stable.
- The disruption initially stemmed from Starshield service being restricted on platforms traveling at speeds of 100 mph or higher.
- U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have hinted at White House coordination with Musk regarding the restrictions.
Original reporting
- BBC: Musk says SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink connection as service restored
2026-10-25T08:15:24.611000+00:00 - Fox News: Ukraine's Starlink restored as Elon Musk claims Kyiv violated terms of service 'to kill people'
2026-10-25T00:24:35+00:00 - PBS NewsHour: Ukraine disputes Elon Musk's claim that its military violated Starlink's terms of service
2026-10-25T15:35:22+00:00