Elon Musk said this week that Starlink should remain a civilian operation, justifying restrictions on the service used by Ukrainian forces by pointing to the risk of Russian retaliation against SpaceX's satellite constellation. He argues the network can support military infrastructure but should not be used in clearly offensive attacks.
In a post on X, Musk said the limits stemmed from fears that Russia could shoot down Starlink satellites, which could trigger a cascade of space debris. He accused the Ukrainian military of breaching the terms of use by using the civilian network for offensive drone operations, a claim Kyiv rejects.
Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said the civilian Starlink in Ukraine operates with speed limits and does not work over Russian territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the military version, Starshield, is used only for defence on Ukrainian soil. The dispute raises the question of how far a private company should set the limits of military support to an ally.