Starlink Dispute Amid Intensifying Ukraine Attacks

Elon Musk said SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s Starlink service last week after Ukraine’s military allegedly used the civilian commercial network for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated its terms of service. Musk said the restriction closed a loophole and maintained that Starlink may support military infrastructure but should not be used for attacks. He denied responsibility for a separate issue involving Starshield, a more secure system controlled by the US government, and said SpaceX had done more to defend Ukraine than any private company. Ukraine had reported connection problems that it said hampered defensive operations for more than a week. After President Donald Trump said he had told Musk to restore the service, Ukrainian officials reported that connectivity was stable again. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said drones could once more reach speeds above 400km/h, while Volodymyr Zelensky said speeds were now adequate. Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov disputed Musk’s account, saying speed restrictions and the service’s lack of coverage over Russian territory made Starlink unsuitable for deep or medium-range strikes. Ukraine had not issued an official response through its defence ministry. The disruption arose amid a diplomatic dispute between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. Trump criticized the attacks amid rising fuel prices, while Ukraine argued they target a key source of Russian war financing. Zelensky said the US had also threatened to stop sharing intelligence if the strikes continued; Trump denied that claim. The article notes that fuel-price increases have primarily been attributed to the Iran war and describes US sanctions decisions and a diesel-supply deal with Moscow that drew criticism from European allies. The report also describes continued fighting: Ukrainian authorities reported deaths and injuries from Russian attacks in Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnytsia, while Russia said it struck Ukrainian shipping and logistics targets. Ukraine said it hit a sanctioned machinery facility in Oryol, where Russian authorities reported three deaths. Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed four people and injured 28, according to regional authorities. The dead and 22 of the injured were in the eastern Dnipro region, where Russian forces reportedly attacked three districts more than 20 times with drones and guided aerial bombs. The strikes damaged infrastructure in Dnipro city and destroyed or damaged homes, apartment buildings, shops and cars. A separate drone strike hit a high-rise apartment building in Vinnytsia, injuring six people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that Russian forces struck a home-improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv and then attacked emergency responders who arrived at the scene; he did not specify how many responders were injured. Overnight attacks also hit Ukrainian energy facilities, including a thermal power plant and substations. Zelenskyy said Russia had launched approximately 1,600 guided aerial bombs, 48 missiles and nearly 2,300 attack drones against Ukraine during the preceding week. Ukraine’s military reported that it had retaliated with strikes on Russian targets, including radar stations, command posts and concentrations of personnel. The General Staff said attacks on radar systems could weaken Russian coverage and improve Ukraine’s ability to use unmanned systems. The article also reports that Ukraine had restored a stable connection to Elon Musk’s Starlink network after a dispute with the United States. Zelenskyy said connection speeds had returned to operationally sufficient levels, which he described as important for frontline logistics and defence against jet-powered Shahed drones. Starlink and its military counterpart, Starshield, have played a significant role in providing battlefield communications for Ukrainian forces.

Elon Musk accused Ukraine’s military of violating Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite internet system for offensive drone strikes. In a post on X, he said Starlink is a civilian commercial service and that its use for such attacks was never permitted. He said SpaceX had closed a loophole that allowed the alleged use the previous week. Musk distinguished Starlink from Starshield, a separate communications system controlled by the US government, saying decisions about Starshield were up to the government. At the same time, Musk emphasized Starlink’s importance to Ukraine’s defence. He claimed it had helped prevent Russia from overrunning Ukraine early in the war, when other communications were destroyed or jammed, and said the system remains critical because it cannot currently be jammed or destroyed. He also asserted that Ukraine’s front line would collapse immediately if Starlink were switched off, and claimed SpaceX had contributed more to Ukraine’s defence than any other private company. Musk reiterated his opposition to prolonging the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sharply criticizing people who advocate continued fighting without proposing a practical solution. The article also reports his separate allegation, made Friday, that financial aid intended for Ukraine was being routed back to the United States through multiple channels and used to finance some politicians’ campaigns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said operational speeds for Starlink and Starshield had returned to levels seen before recent restrictions. He stressed the networks’ importance to Ukrainian military operations on the front lines and efforts to counter aerial attacks. The article presents Musk’s claims and Zelenskyy’s response but does not independently verify the allegations about drone strikes or aid.