Elon Musk has confirmed that SpaceX deliberately restricted Starlink service in Ukraine last week, defending a move that severely disrupted Ukrainian military drone operations, including efforts to intercept Russian attack drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his defense minister said normal operating capabilities have since been restored following approximately a week of disruptions.

Writing on X, Musk said the restrictions were imposed because Ukraine’s military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using the network to conduct lethal offensive strikes.

He said the loophole permitting that use had been closed, while emphasizing that Starlink remained critical to Ukraine’s defense. Musk argued that cutting off the service entirely would cause the Ukrainian front line to collapse immediately.

He also lashed out at those he described as “sanctimonious warmongers,” telling them to “burn in hell” and accusing them of encouraging continued bloodshed without offering a solution.

During the restrictions, Ukrainian drones reportedly lost their satellite connections once they exceeded approximately 160 kilometers per hour, or 100 mph.

The limit effectively prevented Kyiv from operating fast interceptor drones against Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones and forced the cancellation of missions deep inside enemy territory.

Ukraine’s defense minister now says the systems are operating reliably at speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour, or approximately 250 mph.

The incident has also exposed a dispute over responsibility for restrictions affecting Starshield, the military satellite communications system operating alongside the civilian Starlink network.

Musk said that while he controls civilian Starlink operations, Starshield is controlled exclusively by the U.S. government, with decisions made in Washington.

President Donald Trump and senior administration officials denied involvement in restricting the service.

Conflicting American media reports have attributed the decision either to the White House or to Musk himself, leaving responsibility for the military network’s disruption disputed.

The uncertainty has added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, already heightened by reports of diesel import agreements between the Trump administration and Moscow.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)