SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has accused Ukraine’s military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite internet network to carry out offensive drone strikes, intensifying tensions over the technology’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Musk made the accusation on Saturday, October 24, 2026, claiming that Ukraine had used the civilian satellite service for drone attacks intended to kill people. He said SpaceX had closed the loophole the previous week.
The controversy follows more than a week of Starlink and Starshield service restrictions that reportedly disrupted Ukrainian military operations, including drone missions, frontline communications and logistics.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that the systems had returned to the speeds required by the military. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara also confirmed that connections were stable at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour.
Musk maintained that Starlink is a civilian commercial service and was never intended for offensive drone strikes. He also stressed that Starshield, the military-oriented system, is controlled by the US government.
The disruption has heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv, with conflicting accounts over responsibility for the restrictions. Ukrainian officials have also said their military cannot use Starlink for long- or medium-range attack drone operations.
Despite the dispute, Starlink remains a critical communications tool for Ukrainian forces defending against Russian attacks.