Ukraine denies Elon Musk's Starlink claims

Ukrainian officials have denied claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that the country's military forces violated the terms of service of the civilian satellite internet network Starlink by using it in offensive drone attacks.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that long-standing restrictions on the civilian system in Ukraine make such offensive uses impossible. While SpaceX's Starlink system and the military-focused Starshield service are vital for Ukraine's wartime connectivity, earlier speed limits had disrupted air defense during Russian attacks before service was restored.

Elon Musk acknowledged that SpaceX slowed down Starlink in Ukraine due to terms of service violations regarding offensive drone strikes, while arguing that the U.S. government controls modifications on Starshield. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched approximately 2,300 drones targeting Ukrainian cities over the past week.