Zelenskyy’s office answers Elon Musk over claims Ukraine violated Starlink rules
Photo: Ukraine could not use commercial Starlink for strikes (Getty Images)
Billionaire Elon Musk accused the Ukrainian military of using Starlink to carry out drone strikes intended to kill people, thereby violating the terms of use of the satellite communication service. However, this information is not true, as Starlink operates under certain restrictions, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov.
"It's very strange that Elon Musk doesn't know about the restrictions on Starlink's operation in Ukraine," Flash wrote.
According to him, since the winter of 2026, all Starlink terminals over Ukrainian territory, including occupied areas, have been subject to a speed limit of 70–90 km/h.
Starlink does not operate over the territory of the Russian Federation.
"Therefore, we physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep strikes and medium-range strikes," the Ukrainian president's adviser stressed.
What happened before
Earlier, Elon Musk wrote on his social media accounts that Starlink could not be used for offensive drone strikes intended to kill people, but the Ukrainian military had allegedly violated this condition. According to him, this loophole was closed last week.
He also said that if Starlink were shut down, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. He stressed that Starlink had played a crucial role in preventing Russia from occupying Ukraine, as the Russian army had destroyed or jammed all other means of communication.
Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Starlink and Starshield satellite communication speeds in Ukraine had been restored to the levels recorded before the restrictions were introduced.
