Elon Musk says Ukraine used Starlink for offensive drone attacks
Ukrainian military forces used SpaceX’s civilian Starlink network for offensive drone attacks to kill people, violating the service’s terms of use, according to a statement posted by Elon Musk on the platform X on October 24, 2026. Musk stated that the loophole allowing the usage was removed the previous week, while separate military variants remained under U.S. government control, Wiadomości Onet reported.
Restrictions Imposed on Moving Objects
The restrictions on the satellite network affected terminals deployed on objects moving at speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal cited by Wiadomości Onet, Musk made the decision to limit the system’s speed after discussing the matter with the White House. Kyiv initially attributed the limitations to the administration of U.S. Donald Trump, while administration representatives pointed to the company’s rules regarding service violations. Defense Minister Jewhenij Chmara stated, as reported by Interia Wydarzenia, that the country’s military had previously accused the U.S. of intentionally slowing down the system.
Serhij Sternenko, a volunteer and former advisor to the Ukrainian defense minister, questioned Musk’s public explanation. Sternenko asserted that any network terminal used on a moving vehicle had to be registered under the military variant Starshield rather than the civilian Starlink. He wrote that utilizing civilian terminals for drone missions was technically impossible and that all satellite-reliant drone operations required the military system.
Restoration of Connection Speeds
Ukrainian authorities confirmed the full restoration of connection speeds across both networks by Saturday, October 24, 2026. Minister of Defense Jewhenij Chmara announced that monitoring systems recorded a stable connection operating at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour, according to Interia Wydarzenia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly thanked the United States and international partners for addressing the disruption.
In a video statement reported by TVN24, Zelenskyy described the restoration as the most important news of the day. He noted that the renewed functionality is critical for front-line logistics and for defending against Shahed jet-propelled drones. Zelenskyy extended his appreciation to American congressmen, senators, the State Department, and Donald Trump for treating the disruption seriously.
Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated… https://t.co/ZXBB8bYfPn
Prior to the restoration, technological advisors in Kyiv reported that speed caps remained active. Serhij Beskrestnow, an advisor to the Ukrainian president on defense technologies, stated on the day prior to the resolution that local teams observed no immediate lifting of the limitations, as noted by TVN24 coverage.
Debate Over Infrastructure Reliance and Funding
Elon Musk defended his company’s overall contribution to the conflict while criticizing political figures. Musk wrote on X that if Starlink were deactivated, the Ukrainian front line would immediately collapse, characterizing the statement as a factual observation rather than a threat. He expressed contempt for what he termed self-righteous warmongers seeking prolonged conflict.
The billionaire also alleged that certain individuals profited from hundreds of billions of dollars sent to Ukraine while ordinary citizens fought in trenches, and claimed a portion of the funds returned to finance American political campaigns. Radosław Sikorski responded to the remarks on X, writing that European clients were observing the situation after Musk previously stated that operational limits were determined by the U.S. military and the U.S. president.
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