Ukrainian officials are disputing Elon Musk’s claim that Ukraine violated Starlink terms of service with offensive drone strikes, as service disruptions raise questions in Kyiv and Washington about who ordered them.
Musk wrote that Ukraine’s military violated the terms by using Starlink for offensive drone strikes, and that the loophole was closed last week, according to PBS NewsHour headlines. He also acknowledged on Saturday that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine. Officials said the speed caps were lifted and service restored.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to President Zelenskyy, said long-standing restrictions made offensive use of civilian Starlink impossible in Ukraine. According to PBS NewsHour headlines, he said speed limits of 70-90 kmh within Ukraine and no operation in Russia ruled out such use. This is a Ukrainian official’s claim, and the sources contain no independent confirmation of Musk’s allegation.
The accounts also differ on who set the restrictions. According to NBC News, Musk previously said limits on speed or usage of Starshield are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Zelenskyy said the message to limit speed came from the American government and that SpaceX technically did it.
The Trump administration has denied requesting changes to Starlink in Ukraine, according to NBC News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reporting that the US denied Ukraine something it needed was ‘not true.’ PBS NewsHour headlines reported that Trump has said he did not make that call.
NBC News, citing The Wall Street Journal, reported that President Trump called Musk and asked him to lift the company’s satellite service restrictions. The Journal’s text was not among the sources, so this report reaches readers second-hand.
Starlink and its military-focused Starshield service are critical to Ukraine’s wartime connectivity. Drones linked to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds earlier this month, disrupting air defenses. The dispute adds to strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, which were already tense after Ukraine viewed Trump’s reported deal with Moscow to import diesel from Russia as a betrayal.
Sen. Adam Schiff said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should testify before the Senate on the Starlink limitations, according to NBC News. Schiff said Hegseth should be brought in to testify if Democrats retake the Senate. Russia has agreed to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month.
The sources include no direct response from SpaceX beyond Musk’s posts and no Pentagon response to Schiff’s call. A Reddit item reports sources saying the US has for years asked Musk to alter Starlink service in Ukraine and the Middle East, but only its headline was available, so those claims are unverified.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.