Elon Musk’s dust-up with Ukraine on Starlink isn't over yet

Ukraine stated its access to Starshield was restored this weekend, but Elon Musk isn't completed alongside Kyiv yet.

In an X article on Sunday, Musk accused Ukrainian forces of breaching Starlink's conditions of assistance by using the noncombatant phase in drone attacks.

"Ukraine armed forces violated Starlink conditions of assistance and used it for insulting drone strikes to slay people. That loophole was closed final week," wrote the SpaceX owner.

"Using Starlink, a noncombatant business service, for insulting drone strikes to slay group has never been allowed, nor should it be," he added.

Musk made it apparent he was talking concerning the business phase and not Starshield, the military version of the moon communications assistance owned and controlled by the US government.

"Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian forefront row would downfall immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is a declaration of fact," Musk added.

Ukrainian drone advisors hit back

Two notable Ukrainian drone figures, however, disputed Musk's statement, saying that it was technically unattainable for any of Kyiv's troops to have independently used Starlink in drone strikes.

"As person who was inner the procedure at the Ministry of Defense, I can say for certain that this is not true," wrote Serhii Sternenko, a erstwhile adviser for drones to Ukraine's defence ministry, on his Telegram channel.

"It is extremely different that Elon Musk does not cognize concerning the restrictions on Starlink procedure in Ukraine," wrote Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, another erstwhile advisor.

Both worked in the ministry in first 2026, whenever it negotiated alongside SpaceX to forestall Russia from using black-market Starlink terminals in the war. SpaceX accepted in February to obstacle Starlink complete Ukraine and Russia, allowing admission lone to whitelisted Ukrainian terminals.

Sternenko stated that Ukrainian civilians and troops could enroll their terminals on the whitelist, but that these would lone activity during topic to a speed requirement.

For one to nexus during moving, it would have to be put on a particular catalog that uses Starshield instead, he said.

"That is, it was technically unattainable to use noncombatant Starlink to execute missions on drones. All drone missions that required moon communication could lone be carried out using Starshield," Sternenko added.

Beskrestnov stated the Ukrainian Starlink terminals were topic to a speed bounds of 90 kmph, or concerning 55 mph. The noncombatant assistance is additionally entirely cut off complete Russia, he added.

"Thus, we physically cannot use business Starlink for profound strikes and center strikes," Beskrestnov wrote.

Starshield vs Starlink

Tactical drones functioning on the Ukrainian battlefield at speeds below 55 mph, specified as first-person-view assault drones, typically use radio-frequency signals fairly than moon communication to keep communication alongside an operator. These are additionally frequently too small and deficiency adequate onboard power to reliably transport equal a Starlink Mini terminal.

What Ukraine normally uses moon net for — hence its reliance on Starshield — is mid-range and profound strikes on Russia's rear or Russian territory, alongside larger, additional mighty drones that fly much faster.

Kyiv additionally relies on moon communications for its small interceptor drones, which fly at up to 265 mph to capture incoming assault drones.

Musk followed up on his Sunday X article alongside a screenshot of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy penning on social media in mid-October that Kyiv's forces "also use Starlink for mid-range strikes" against Russian targets.

However, Zelenskyy's article was describing Ukraine's latest troubles alongside Starshield, and he often used the term "Starlink" to mention broadly to the armed forces moon assistance instead.

Musk and SpaceX did not react to requests for comment sent exterior regular endeavor hours by Business Insider.

Earlier this month, Ukraine raised the alert that its admission to Starshield was being throttled at elevated speeds, reducing its capability to behavior deeper strikes and to authority interceptor drones.

The crisis lasted 10 days and came as President Donald Trump and Musk openly criticized Ukraine for targeting Russian oil accommodation at a period whenever the White House was trying to comfort energy prices.

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials and sources, that Musk had personally ordered the speed cap. Musk and Trump have separately stated they were not liable for the slowdown.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy stated Starshield services were operating normally again.