Ukrainian officials dispute Elon Musk’s suggestion that Ukraine may have violated Starlink’s terms of service by using the system on combat drones. Sternenko, who said he was involved in the Department of Defense process, argued that technical restrictions introduced in February make civilian Starlink unusable for drone missions requiring communications while moving, leaving Starshield as the only authorized option.
Musk says Starshield restrictions are controlled by the US government
“Elon Musk claims that Ukraine is suspected of violating Starlink’s terms of service and using the system on combat drones. As someone who was involved in the Department of Defense process, I can say with confidence that this is not true,” Sternenko wrote.
“In February of this year, a whitelist was introduced. Fixed terminals could be registered by both military and civilian personnel. However, in order for satellite terminals to work while on the move, they had to be added to a special list and connected to the military Starshield system. Otherwise, Ukrainian satellite communication terminals will not work. In other words, it is technically impossible to use civilian Starlink for drone missions. All drone missions that require satellite communications can only be carried out by using Starshield.”
Musk initially responded to the controversy by saying that, unlike Starlink’s commercial service, Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government.
“Speed and usage limits are determined by the US military and ultimately by the President,” Musk wrote. He added that “Starlink is limited to civilian or defense operations and cannot be used for offensive military operations,” but he did not initially accuse Ukraine of violating that restriction.
President Trump denies having made a decision to limit Ukraine’s satellite connectivity. A Wall Street Journal report said that Trump called Musk and asked him to lift the restriction.
Starlink’s restrictions on military drone use
SpaceX acknowledged in 2023 that it had blocked Ukraine from using Starlink on military drones, saying its contract with the country did not allow offensive use. In May 2026, Musk said that a US military suicide drone installed by a contractor had mistakenly used Starlink instead of Starshield.
“Starlink remains critical to Ukraine’s defense because, at least for now, it is the only system that cannot be jammed or detonated. If Starlink were to be shut down, the Ukrainian front would collapse immediately. This is not a threat, but simply a statement of fact.”
Source: arstechnica.com