Writing on X, Musk said the capability had been disabled the previous week. He described Starlink as a civilian commercial service and said such use was not permitted and should not be permitted.
Musk separately said the Starshield system is under the control of the U.S. government and that decisions on its use are a matter for the American authorities.
In the same post, Musk said Starlink is critical to the Ukrainian army as the only communications system that cannot be jammed or destroyed. He said that if the connection were cut, the Ukrainian front would collapse immediately, calling this "not a threat but a statement of fact." He also said SpaceX had done more to protect Ukraine than any other private company and wished "burning in hell" on those he called arsonists of war who advocate endless slaughter.
Serhiy Sternenko, an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, rejected the accusations, The Insider reported. He said a "whitelist" system for terminals has been in place in Ukraine since February 2026: stationary devices could be registered as either military or civilian, but to operate while moving a terminal had to be entered on a special list and connected to the military Starshield system. Sternenko said using civilian Starlink for combat missions with drones was technically impossible, and that drone operations requiring satellite communications ran exclusively through Starshield.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, an unpaid adviser to the Ukrainian president on technology issues known as "Flash," also told Deutsche Welle that Ukraine's armed forces physically cannot use commercial Starlink for long- and medium-range drone strikes. He noted that terminals on Ukrainian territory, including occupied areas, are limited to speeds of 70–90 km/h, and that Starlink does not work on Russian territory.
Satellite communications problems for Ukraine's armed forces began on the night of October 14, when Starshield terminals started losing connection while moving at high speed. This complicated the use of strike drones and interceptor drones, as well as reconnaissance and logistics tasks. On October 24, Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara confirmed that communications had been restored and were working at speeds above 400 km/h. The same day, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that full Starlink operation had been restored, after saying the day before that restrictions remained in place despite Donald Trump's statement that service had been restored.
The dispute over satellite communications is unfolding against a deterioration in Kyiv-Washington relations over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump demanded an end to the attacks, asserting they drive up global fuel prices, including for diesel.
The Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Musk proposed introducing restrictions on Starlink for Ukraine's armed forces after discussing the idea with the Pentagon. The White House said it had not given instructions to restrict the network's operation, and Trump denied that his administration had issued such an order.
Accounts diverge: Musk says civilian Starlink was used for drone strikes and calls this a violation of the terms. Sternenko and Beskrestnov say such use is technically impossible and that drone operations ran through U.S.-controlled Starshield. Musk also speaks of the company correcting an "error," whereas The Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the businessman himself initiated the restrictions.