On October 24 local time, Ukraine stated that the Starlink satellite system and its military version, Starstreak, have now returned to normal operation. Previously, the system was restricted for over a week, which hindered Ukrainian military operations and exacerbated tensions between the United States and Ukraine.
However, just a few hours later, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and the company that owns the Starlink system, accused the Ukrainian military of violating the company’s terms of use.
Musk stated on his social media platform X: "The Ukrainian military violated the terms of service for Starlink, using it to launch drone attacks and cause casualties. This loophole was closed last week."
He emphasized that using ‘Star Chain’ to launch offensive drones for killing is never allowed, and should not be allowed. Additionally, ‘Star Shield’ is a different system, controlled by the U.S. government. ‘It’s up to them to decide what they want to do.’
"SpaceX has made efforts to protect Ukraine that far exceed any private company on Earth," Elon Musk added. "However, I have no regard whatsoever for those pretending to be righteous and engaging in evil war profiteering. They push for endless carnage but offer no realistic solutions to the conflict. May you all go to hell."
According to Reuters, Serhiy Beskrestnov, a presidential advisor in Ukraine, claimed on another social media platform Telegram that Ukraine is unable to use Starlink for medium and long-range attack drone operations 'physically'. Additionally, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense have not commented on this issue immediately.
Ukrainian soldiers use "Starlink" terminals in Luhansk region. Feature photo
"Star Shield" is a satellite communication system developed by SpaceX. It is considered the military version of "Starlink," used for military communications and operational tasks, including controlling drones and guiding artillery strikes.
"Star Shield" is also the key support for Ukraine's air defense system to counter Russian drones. Last week, Ukrainian officials reported that terminal equipment installed on high-speed mobile devices was malfunctioning and impacted mission execution of Ukrainian military drones that relied on the system for navigation and control.
Subsequently, Ukrainian President Zelensky directed his attention towards Trump and Musk, alleging that they had ordered restrictions. However, both Trump and Musk denied the allegations.
On October 22nd local time, The Wall Street Journal reported exclusively, citing American officials, that U.S. President Donald Trump called Elon Musk on October 21st, asking him to lift the restrictions on military-grade Starlink services in Ukraine.
According to officials, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the system’s speed being limited to about 100 miles per hour (about 160 kilometers per hour). This speed limit has caused some of Ukraine’s attack drones and interceptors to be ineffective in dealing with Russian attacks.
Earlier on October 24th local time, Zelenskyy posted a video statement on social media platform X, expressing gratitude to the United States.
Today's most important thing is that the speed of Star Chain and Star Shield has recovered to the level before restriction. The current speed has reached the required level, he said, "The restoration work started at night, by this morning, the speed has been sufficient."
Zelensky said that this is very important for the logistics support and defense at the front lines in Ukraine.
He also wrote, "I am grateful to all Americans and all those who took this matter seriously and offered real help, including U.S. congressmen, senators, the media, the U.S. Department of State, and the President. Protecting lives is of utmost importance."
