Elon Musk has stated that his company, SpaceX, restricted Ukraine's Starlink internet service, following reports from Ukrainian officials that connectivity issues have been resolved. Musk accused Ukraine of violating its terms of service by using the service for military activities but denied responsibility for a concurrent issue with its US-run military-grade counterpart, Starshield.
Background
Kyiv has not officially commented on Musk's latest claims. However, Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, described Musk's post as "very strange." Previously, Musk had denied deliberately throttling Ukraine's connection, which the country claims hampered its defensive operations. This issue first arose last week amid a broader dispute between Washington and Kyiv regarding Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
Recent Developments
Musk's comments and the apparent restoration of service followed remarks from US President Donald Trump, who claimed he instructed Musk to "put it back," despite previously denying any orders to limit the service. Musk stated:
“"Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Ukraine's military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week."
Musk emphasized that SpaceX had "done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth" and reiterated that Starshield is a different system controlled by the US government, adding:
“"What they decide to do is up to them."
He further clarified that while Starlink can be used for military infrastructure, it cannot be employed for offensive strikes that make it a target for retaliation.
