Elon Musk said on Saturday that Ukraine’s military violated the terms of service of Starlink by using it for offensive drone strikes, and that the loophole was closed last week. “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” Musk wrote on X.
Musk reiterated that using Starlink “for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be.” Starshield, however, is a communication system controlled by the US government, and what it decides to do with it is “up to them,” he said.
The post comes amid a dispute over the military version of the service. Since October 14, Ukrainian officials have accused SpaceX of undermining the country’s ability to defend itself by imposing speed limits on Starshield, CNBC reported, and Ukraine says the restrictions remain despite assurances from President Donald Trump. Fortune reported that Ukrainian drones lose their Starlink link above 100 mph under the limit. Eastern Herald reported on October 14 that Ukraine said SpaceX throttled Starlink overnight with no warning.
Musk’s earlier position drew a line between the two systems. On October 14 he said Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president, CNN reported. Eastern Herald covered that exchange in Musk Blames US Military and Trump for Ukraine’s Starshield Speed Limit.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Musk ordered the Starshield slowdown, The Hill reported. Musk’s latest post, as reported, does not address that account.
Several questions remain open. Musk did not say what he meant by the loophole, how it was closed, or whether the closure is connected to the speed limits Ukraine has described. The reports reviewed carried no response from Ukrainian authorities to his Saturday post. The dispute also lands amid wider friction between Kyiv and Washington: Eastern Herald reported that Zelenskyy said the United States blocked missile intelligence for three days before restoring it, a charge Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called reckless.
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