Elon Musk said Saturday that SpaceX cut Starlink speeds in Ukraine because the military used the civilian service for offensive drone strikes.
The backstory: Restrictions imposed last week on Starshield, the military grade version of Starlink, alarmed Ukrainian commanders, who reported lost drones and disrupted missions for more than a week. Questions about who ordered the cut persisted until Saturday.
- "Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people," Musk wrote on X. "That loophole was closed last week."
Zoom in: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said restoration began overnight and was sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
- "The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelenskyy wrote on X, thanking Americans and partners who he said took the problem seriously.
Yes, but: Musk maintained that the US government controls changes to Starshield, which is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communications. President Trump has said he did not make the call, while also saying Musk should not be blamed.
What's next: The restoration lands amid a new US diplomatic push. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way talks with Washington and Kyiv next month, and on Friday Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky in occupied Kherson.
Why it matters: Ukraine has leaned on Starlink since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, so a commercial terms of service decision set front-line drone and logistics capacity for more than a week.
