‘That loophole was closed’: Musk admits SpaceX restricted Starlink in Ukraine
Elon Musk has acknowledged that his company, SpaceX, restricted Ukraine’s Starlink satellite internet service last week, after Ukrainian officials said connectivity issues appeared to have been resolved.
He also defended SpaceX’s role in supporting Ukraine’s defences since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Restrictions affecting Starshield also raised concerns among Ukrainian military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions. The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, whose relationship had already been strained by US President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.
Musk had earlier denied deliberately restricting Ukraine’s connectivity, which Kyiv said had hampered its ability to conduct defensive operations for more than a week. Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov described Musk’s latest post as “very strange”. Ukraine’s defence minister Yevhenii Khmara credited “direct dialogue” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for the outcome, adding that what mattered most was “for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications”. Trump has said he did not make the decision, while also arguing that Musk should not be blamed. Earlier reporting noted: In a post on X, Musk said that “using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be”. The US President later had said that he would speak to Musk if the issue persisted.
However, he denied responsibility for simultaneous disruptions to Starshield, the US government-controlled, military-grade satellite communication system that supports Ukraine’s drone operations and communications. The issue emerged last week amid broader tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Musk maintained that the US government controlled any changes to Starshield, the military-grade counterpart to Starlink. US Vice President J D Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied any involvement by the administration. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed discontent with the move. However, Trump denied making the call.
Earlier reporting noted: Ukraine had claimed last week that its access to Starlink and Starshield satellite services had been restricted, with speeds affected, disrupting frontline operations for more than a week. In a post on X on Saturday, the tech billionaire accused Ukraine’s military of violating the service’s terms by using it for offensive drone strikes. Earlier reporting noted: But, Musk on Saturday clarified in his post that as far as Starshield access was concerned, the US government controlled any changes involving the military-grade version of Starlink, which is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communications.