Musk Blames Ukraine for Drone Breaches

SpaceX recently restricted how Ukraine uses its satellite internet on military drones. This move followed a public dispute between Elon Musk and Kyiv over the rules governing the service.

Musk posted on Saturday that Ukraine used Starlink, a civilian commercial product, for offensive strikes intended to kill. He stated that this usage was never permitted under the terms of service. Musk added that Starshield, the military version controlled by the US government, is a separate system. He claimed that the loophole allowing Ukraine to use the commercial service for lethal drones was closed last week.

Ukrainian officials pushed back against the accusation on Sunday. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the claim was physically impossible. Beskrestnov noted on Telegram that all Starlink terminals in Ukrainian territory, including Russian-occupied areas, already had a speed limit of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour. He added that the service does not function over Russian territory.

Both a current and a former Ukrainian official denied the violation. They argued that previous limits set by SpaceX already prevented the military from using the technology in the manner Musk described. Ukraine has also accused Musk of throttling their access to Starshield, which they use through a deal with the US government.

The controversy began almost two weeks ago. Zelenskyy said over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted. This development may end the dispute between the two sides.