Elon Musk has confirmed on X that his company, SpaceX, had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations the country relies on to defend itself against Russia. This admission followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links had been restored to pre-restriction speeds, after more than a week of disrupted front-line operations due to the restrictions.
Questions persisted about who ordered the Starlink interruptions, which Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks. About two weeks ago, Ukrainian officials raised concerns over their access to the Musk-owned satellite internet system after discovering issues affecting their drones traveling at speeds of 160 km/h or more. Meanwhile, Russian drones were reportedly traveling at 400 km/h or higher.
After Ukraine announced that services were restored, Elon Musk addressed the speed restrictions that began last week. In a post on X, Musk said SpaceX took action because the civilian internet system, Starlink, was being used to carry out drone attacks against Moscow. “Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” he said. “Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them.”
Musk comes clean on X
“Ukraine military [sic] violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR,” the billionaire added. “That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell.”
The restoration comes amid a renewed U.S. diplomatic push to end the war. On Wednesday, Russia agreed to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire brokered by First Lady Melania Trump around Oleshky, a war-ravaged, Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.
The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.
Before Musk’s admission, confusion lingered over who was responsible for slowing Ukraine’s internet access. Trump and top administration officials repeatedly insisted they were not at fault. Musk previously stated that Starshield systems are owned and operated by the U.S. government, and that the U.S. military and the president determine any restrictions on their speed or use. Additionally, he said Starlink “cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.”
Published: Oct 27, 2026 08:30 am