Elon Musk announced that SpaceX had restricted Ukraine’s access to its Starlink satellite internet service, stating the country violated terms of service by using the civilian network for offensive military operations. The company subsequently restored the connection after US President Donald Trump indicated he had instructed Musk to reinstate the service, though Trump had previously denied any involvement in the restriction.
Musk clarified that Starlink—the civilian commercial system—cannot be used for offensive strikes, distinguishing it from Starshield, a more secure military-grade service controlled by the US government. He asserted that SpaceX had provided substantial support to Ukraine’s defense efforts and characterized the company’s actions as appropriate enforcement of its terms of service. In a separate statement, Musk noted that defensive infrastructure applications on Starlink were permissible, but offensive strike operations were not.
Ukrainian officials disputed these characterizations. Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov noted that drones operating via Starlink in Ukraine face speed restrictions and cannot function in Russian territory, making deep strikes technically impossible through the civilian network. Following the service restoration, Ukraine’s Defense Minister reported achieving stable connections with drone speeds exceeding the previous 161km/h limitation. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed operations had returned to necessary performance levels.
The connectivity disruption occurred during heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv regarding Ukrainian military strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Trump had opposed these strikes, citing concerns about global fuel prices ahead of midterm elections, and subsequently agreed to a diesel supply deal with Russia. The timing of the Starlink restrictions coincided with these diplomatic disagreements, though Musk did not publicly explain the decision’s rationale or timing given Ukraine’s established reliance on the service.
Meanwhile, fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continued with reported casualties and infrastructure damage on both sides. Russia maintained claims of striking military-related targets, while Ukraine reported civilian casualties from Russian attacks across multiple regions.
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