Skip to content
Back to the daily read

Daily Read: Tech

SpaceX Limits Ukraine Starlink as Service Restored

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX had temporarily restricted Ukraine’s Starlink internet service after the Ukrainian government claimed the connectivity problems had been resolved. Musk said the restriction was due to Ukraine’s alleged use of the civilian Starlink network for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated the company’s terms of service. He also clarified that the military‑grade Starshield system, controlled by the U.S. government, was separate and not subject to the same limits. Ukrainian officials, including presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, called Musk’s claim “very strange,” and Kyiv has not issued an official statement. The restriction reportedly limited Starlink speeds to 70‑90 km/h and disabled service over Russian territory, which some officials said made it impossible to use the network for deep‑strike missions. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara later reported a “stable connection” with drones reaching speeds above 400 km/h, suggesting the service had been restored. Musk denied that he had deliberately throttled the connection and noted that he had been told by President Trump to “put it back,” a claim Trump denied. The incident coincided with a diplomatic row over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which had heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv.

· BBC News

The essential points

  1. 01SpaceX temporarily cut Ukraine’s Starlink service, citing alleged misuse for offensive drone strikes
  2. 02Musk said the restriction applied only to the civilian Starlink, not the U.S.‑controlled Starshield
  3. 03Ukraine’s Defence Minister later reported a stable connection with drones reaching over 400 km/h
  4. 04The restriction limited Starlink speeds to 70‑90 km/h and disabled service over Russian territory
The full brief

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX had temporarily restricted Ukraine’s Starlink internet service after the Ukrainian government claimed the connectivity problems had been resolved. Musk said the restriction was due to Ukraine’s alleged use of the civilian Starlink network for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated the company’s terms of service. He also clarified that the military‑grade Starshield system, controlled by the U. S.

government, was separate and not subject to the same limits. Ukrainian officials, including presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, called Musk’s claim “very strange,” and Kyiv has not issued an official statement. The restriction reportedly limited Starlink speeds to 70‑90 km/h and disabled service over Russian territory, which some officials said made it impossible to use the network for deep‑strike missions. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara later reported a “stable connection” with drones reaching speeds above 400 km/h, suggesting the service had been restored.

Musk denied that he had deliberately throttled the connection and noted that he had been told by President Trump to “put it back,” a claim Trump denied. The incident coincided with a diplomatic row over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which had heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv.