Dbarta24 Desk – Elon Musk says SpaceX restricted Starlink internet access after Ukraine allegedly used the service to support attack drones.
The slowdown disrupted some frontline operations, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield connections had returned to the level needed by the military.
In a post on X on Saturday, Musk said Starlink was a civilian commercial service and was not intended to support attacks aimed at killing people.
He accused Ukraine’s military of breaking the service’s terms by using it for such operations. Musk said the restriction was introduced last week.
Musk also said the US government controlled any changes to Starshield, Starlink’s military-focused service. Starshield is an important part of Ukraine’s military communications and drone operations.
Zelenskyy said service restoration began overnight and had reached the required level by Saturday morning.
He said the improvement helped frontline supply operations and efforts to defend against Russian Shahed drones, including jet-powered versions.
The restrictions had raised concern among Ukrainian military and government officials. Military commanders reported losing drones and facing interruptions to operations.
Ukraine has relied on SpaceX satellite internet since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
It remains unclear who ordered the restrictions last week. Musk has previously spoken in support of SpaceX’s role in strengthening Ukraine’s defences.