SpaceX CEO Elon Musk watches as President Donald Trump speaks to the press after a meeting with technology executives on artificial intelligence at the White House in Washington, September 29, 2026.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images
EspaceX CEO Elon Musk said Saturday that the company restricted Ukraine’s access to its broadband technology because kyiv violated Starlink’s terms of service.
In an article on X, Musk said: “The Ukrainian military violated Starlink’s terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. This loophole was closed last week.”
He added: “SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth, BY FAR. »
Ukrainian officials said earlier in the day that SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems had restored broadband service, a day after saying service remained limited. A Ukrainian official said the service disruption left the country vulnerable to Russian attacks.
“The monitoring systems of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry officially record the restoration of Starlink/Starshield speed,” the ministry said in a statement. “The connection remains stable (while the equipment is moving) at speeds above 400 km/h (249 miles per hour).”
“Previously, monitoring systems recorded limitations in the operation of Starlink/Starshield. Now the speed indicators have been restored,” the ministry added.
Starlink is SpaceX’s broader commercial satellite internet network, while Starshield represents the company’s government operations based on Starlink technology.
Before Musk’s announcement, confusion persisted over who ordered the restrictions on high-speed service, with Musk initially saying in a social media post that the U.S. government was responsible, while President Donald Trump said he had no knowledge of them.
On Saturday, speaking to reporters at the White House in Florida, Trump confirmed a Wall Street Journal report this week that he had asked Musk to ease restrictions: “I talked to Elon Musk.”
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
A soldier from a Ukrainian National Police rifle battalion uses a smartphone to check signal quality while setting up a Starlink satellite communications network at a combat position in Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026.
Dmytro Smolienko | Nuphoto | Getty Images
Since October 14, Ukrainian officials have accused SpaceX of harming the country’s ability to defend itself by imposing speed limits on Starshield, the military-grade offering of its Starlink satellite internet service. Officials said any drone traveling faster than 100 mph loses connection, disrupting some missions.
Ukraine’s Starshield terminals continued to experience problems Friday, said Dmitri Alperovitch, president of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a Washington, D.C. think tank focused on energy, defense technology and global trade.
“Things have become more difficult”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Friday that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield “are still there,” and added: “The speed has not been restored.” He noted that the country is also waiting for the United States to deliver missile interceptors “which have already been agreed upon.”
“Things have become more difficult – in part because of Starlink and Starshield’s policies and speed limits,” Zelenskyy wrote. “But our front line still holds and I am proud of the strength of our people.”
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it continues to monitor the operation of the systems.
“This result is, above all, important for our front, for the army, drone work, logistics and communications,” Defense Minister Eugene Khmara said in the statement.
US lawmakers from both parties have called for a formal investigation into Musk and SpaceX over alleged unilateral changes the company made to its services in Ukraine.
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