‘Never been allowed’: Musk says Ukraine violated Starlink terms for drone strikes
He said the loophole that allowed such use had been closed last week. Tech giant Elon Musk on Saturday (local time) accused the Ukrainian military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite internet system for offensive drone strikes.
In a post on X, Musk said the use of Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive operations was never permitted. He also distinguished it from Starshield, a separate satellite communication system controlled by the US government. “Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine’s military violated Starlink’s terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” he wrote on X.
“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,” he said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said operational speeds for the Starlink and Starshield satellite communication networks had been restored to levels recorded before recent restrictions.
“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. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact. Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth by far,” he added. He highlighted the systems’ importance in supporting Ukraine’s military operations along the front lines and countering aerial attacks.