Ukraine regained broader access to Starlink on Saturday after more than a week of speed restrictions disrupted its war effort against Russia. Elon Musk defended the satellite service while accusing Kyiv of violating SpaceX rules by using the technology for offensive drone strikes.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote on X. He said Ukraine had “violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

Musk also explained that Starshield is a separate system controlled by the U.S. government. His comments added another round of finger-pointing to the dispute over restrictions that Ukrainian officials warned could carry deadly consequences.

“Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now,” Musk wrote while responding to an X post that described Starlink as “not a weapons system.”

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Musk said shutting down Starlink would have an immediate and devastating battlefield impact. “Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact,” he added.

According to Musk, Starlink played a crucial role at the beginning of the war because it provided communications that Russia could not destroy or jam. He argued that SpaceX has contributed more to Ukraine’s defense than any other private company.

“SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR,” Musk claimed. He then lashed out at those he considers advocates of continued conflict, calling them “virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict.”

Correct.

Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week. Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact. Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR. That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2026

Musk had previously placed responsibility for usage and speed restrictions on the U.S. military and President Donald Trump. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” the SpaceX, Tesla and X CEO wrote.

A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Ukraine received no warning before the restrictions began overnight. Ukraine depended on the service through arrangements contracted by the U.S. government that remain in place until May 15, 2027.

Ukrainian forces discovered the change only after encountering connectivity problems and contacting SpaceX customer support, according to the source. They were informed that Starshield service would be restricted on platforms moving at speeds of 100 mph or faster.

Trump told reporters Saturday that he had discussed the matter with Musk, but the president declined to provide further details. The White House, SpaceX, the War Department and the State Department were contacted for comment.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that broader Starlink access had been restored. The ministry said connections remained stable at speeds of 250 mph, giving Ukrainian forces relief after the restrictions interfered with drone operations.

The cause of the slowdown remained unclear, while Ukraine accused both Trump and Musk of being responsible. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S. had “betrayed” him through the recent Starlink restrictions.

WATCH:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth denied that the U.S. government was responsible for slowing Ukraine’s Starlink service. The denials left competing accounts over who ordered the restrictions and why they suddenly appeared.

The dispute unfolded as Russia agreed Wednesday to resume negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. Zelenskyy also told “Fox & Friends” that he would be open to ending the war by freezing the fighting along the current front lines.

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