Ukraine disputes Musk's claim its military breached Starlink's terms
Ukrainian officials have rejected Elon Musk's claims that their military violated Starlink's terms of service by using the network for offensive drone strikes. They argue that technical restrictions make such usage physically impossible.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the complex role of private technology companies in modern warfare and the reliance of sovereign nations on commercial satellite infrastructure.
<p>Ukrainian officials have disputed claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that the country’s military <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/10/25/musk-admits-to-being-behind-ukraine-starlink-speed-restriction/" target="_blank">violated Starlink’s terms of service</a> by using the civilian satellite internet network for offensive drone strikes.</p> <p>Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said long-standing restrictions on the civilian system in Ukraine made such offensive use impossible.</p> <p>“It’s very strange that Elon Musk doesn’t know about the restrictions on Starlink’s operation in Ukraine,” he wrote in an online post.</p> <p>SpaceX’s Starlink and its military-focused Starshield service are critical to Ukraine’s wartime connectivity. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones connected to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds, disrupting air defences during daily Russian air attacks.
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