Ukraine: Starlink speed limits debunk Musk drone claim

Elon Musk accused Ukraine of breaking Starlink's commercial terms by using the civilian satellite network for offensive drone strikes. The SpaceX CEO made the claim on Saturday, shortly after his company applied new restrictions on drone usage.

Musk stated that employing a commercial service to kill people was not permitted under the agreement. He noted that Starshield, the military variant controlled by the United States, operates under different rules. According to Musk, Kyiv exploited a gap in the rules before SpaceX closed it the previous week.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rejected the accusation on Telegram on Sunday. He described the claim as physically impossible given the existing technical constraints. Beskrestnov explained that all Starlink terminals operating over Ukrainian territory, including Russian-occupied zones, already faced a movement speed cap between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour.

The advisor added that the satellite signal does not function over Russian territory. This limitation meant Ukraine could not use the system for the specific type of high-speed attacks Musk described without violating the pre-existing speed limits.

One current and one former Ukrainian official supported Beskrestnov's position. They argued that previous limits imposed by SpaceX had already prevented the military from using Starlink in the manner Musk outlined. These officials also accused Musk of throttling access to Starshield, which Ukraine uses through a deal with the US government.

President Zelenskyy announced over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted. This move may resolve the dispute that began roughly two weeks ago.