A top Ukrainian official has hit back at claims from SpaceX chief Elon Musk that Kyiv's military used the commercial Starlink satellite network for offensive drone strikes against Russian forces. Musk said on Saturday Ukraine had "violated Starlink terms of service" by using the civilian system for lethal attacks, saying this "loophole" was closed earlier this month as Ukrainian drone pilots suddenly found their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could only fly at significantly reduced speeds. Ukraine said its access to Starshield, Starlink's military-grade sister system, had been curbed, hampering its ability to take out Russian logistics, munitions depots and command-and-control centers up to 125 miles from the front line as well as operate air defenses.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called Musk's remarks "very strange" on Sunday, and said Ukraine cannot use Starlink for strikes beyond the immediate front line. Starlink does not work over Russian soil, and is capped as low as 70 kilometers per hour over Ukraine, including Moscow-held areas of Ukraine, Beskrestnov said. These speeds are far lower than those needed for Ukrainian drone pilots to effectively attack Russian targets.
Newsweek has reached out to SpaceX for comment via email. There's currently no real alternative to Starshield or Starlink for Ukraine. Ukrainian forces mostly use the general Starlink network for communications and data transfers, rather than guiding strikes on the battlefield.
"Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately," Musk said on Saturday. "Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now." Alongside restrictions on satellite connectivity, Kyiv said earlier this month the usual intelligence data on often devastating Russian ballistic missile strikes leveled at its major cities wasn't coming through. The U.S. denied choking intelligence flows.
Together, these incidents hammered home how much Kyiv still depends on the U.S. to fight Russia, even after pushing self-sufficiency and when President Donald Trump and his administration openly criticize the Ukrainian leader and relations are at their most strained. It's still not clear who ordered the restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield access. Musk has maintained the U.S. government make the calls on Starshield use, while U.S. administration officials said the White House wasn't responsible for the limits.
Zelensky said the U.S. had sent a "message" by throttling Starshield and Starlink connections. The White House has pushed for fresh peace talks between Russia and Ukraine—a key election pledge from 2024—ahead of next month's midterms, while also seeking to blame Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for soaring fuel prices for U.S. consumers. Washington previously blocked Kyiv's access to U.S.-derived intelligence streams in early 2025 as the White House attempted to force progress in peace talks.
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