His remarks came after Kyiv’s access to the services was restored. Elon Musk on Saturday acknowledged that he took the decision to restrict Starlink satellite internet services in Ukraine, which the country relies on to counter attacks from Russia.
Because ukraine had violated its terms of service by using the system for offensive drone strikes to kill people, elon Musk said his company, SpaceX, restricted access to Starlink services.
In a post on X, Musk said that “using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be”. The US President later had said that he would speak to Musk if the issue persisted. What they decide to do is up to them,” Musk said.
Ukraine had claimed last week that its access to Starlink and Starshield satellite services had been restricted, with speeds affected, disrupting frontline operations for more than a week. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed discontent with the move. However, Trump denied making the call. “Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. He added that the loophole had been closed last week.
But, Musk on Saturday clarified in his post that as far as Starshield access was concerned, the US government controlled any changes involving the military-grade version of Starlink, which is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communications.
Musk also said SpaceX had done more for Ukraine’s defence than any other private company in the world. He said the company had helped prevent Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war by disrupting or jamming other means of communication used by Russia. Ukraine’s defence minister Yevhenii Khmara credited “direct dialogue” and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington for the outcome. Earlier reporting noted: Musk’s admission on social media came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week. Earlier reporting noted: After Ukraine said the services had been restored, Elon Musk spoke out on the speed restrictions that began 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,” Musk wrote. He added that what mattered most was “for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications. In a post Saturday on X, Musk acknowledged that his company SpaceX throttled the Starlink satellite internet service.
Earlier reporting noted: Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on to defend itself against Russia.
