Ukraine rejects Musk accusation that Starlink enabled offensive drone strikes
SpaceX chief says civilian satellite links were used for offensive attacks, a charge Kyiv denies while citing existing speed limits.
By Christopher Reed ·
Elon Musk accused Ukraine on Saturday of using Starlink for offensive drone strikes, a move he said violated the service's terms. The space industry leader claimed the satellite network was deployed to kill people, a usage he stated was never permitted for the commercial system.
Musk distinguished between Starlink and Starshield, the military variant controlled by the United States government. He noted that the US decides how to use Starshield, while the Ukrainian military allegedly exploited a loophole in the civilian Starlink terms. SpaceX imposed restrictions on Saturday, limiting the speed of drones using the technology.
Ukrainian officials disputed the claim immediately. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted on Telegram that the allegation was physically impossible. He explained that all Starlink terminals over Ukrainian territory, including Russian-occupied areas, already faced movement speed caps between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour.
Beskrestnov added that the satellite system does not function over Russian territory, further limiting the scope of the alleged violation. One current and one former official echoed this denial, stating that prior SpaceX limits already prevented the military from using the service in the manner Musk described.
Kyiv has also accused Musk of throttling access to Starshield, which Ukraine accesses through a deal with Washington. The dispute began nearly two weeks ago. Zelenskyy said over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted, a move that may resolve the immediate operational conflict.
Source: Ars Technica
