Ukraine rejects Musk claim that Starlink drones broke speed rules

Elon Musk accused Ukraine of breaking Starlink rules by using the commercial satellite service for offensive drone strikes that killed people. The space executive made the claim on Saturday, one day after SpaceX restricted the use of the technology on drones moving above specific speeds. The dispute centers on whether a civilian service was used for military combat, a violation Musk says has never been permitted.

The conflict began almost two weeks ago when SpaceX first introduced movement limits on the satellite terminals. Ukraine officials responded by accusing Musk of throttling access to Starshield, the military version of the system that Ukraine uses through a deal with the US government. This new accusation from Musk follows the initial restrictions, adding a layer of legal dispute to the technical controls already in place.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied the violation in a Telegram post on Sunday. Beskrestnov stated that all Starlink terminals operating over Ukrainian territory, including areas occupied by Russia, were already subject to a speed cap between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour. He described Musk’s claim as physically impossible under those existing constraints, noting further that the technology does not function over Russian territory.

Musk maintained that Starshield is a separate system controlled by the US government, leaving its usage decisions to American authorities. He wrote that Ukraine exploited a loophole by using the commercial Starlink for lethal strikes, a gap that was closed last week. The former and current Ukrainian officials rejected this view, arguing the speed limits made the alleged misuse impossible before the new restrictions were even introduced.

President Zelenskyy announced over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted. This move appears to resolve the immediate technical controversy that has dominated discussions for nearly two weeks. The lifting of the caps coincides with the officials' rebuttal, leaving the status of the commercial terms under review.