70 kph cap: Ukraine officials reject Musk's claim that Starlink terms blocked drone strikes

Elon Musk accused Ukraine of breaking the terms of service for Starlink by using the satellite network for lethal drone attacks. The billionaire made the claim on Saturday following a new restriction imposed by SpaceX that blocks the technology from working on drones moving above specific speeds. This rule change came after a dispute over how Ukraine utilized the system for military operations.

Ukrainian officials immediately challenged the logic behind Musk’s criticism. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the speed limits already in place made Musk’s scenario physically impossible. Beskrestnov noted in a Sunday Telegram post that all Starlink terminals on Ukrainian soil, including areas under Russian occupation, were already restricted to speeds between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour.

Beskrestnov added that the satellite connection does not function over Russian territory. He and another former official argued that these previous limits prevented the military from using Starlink in the manner described by Musk. Ukraine has previously suggested that SpaceX throttled access to Starshield, the military version of the service provided through a US government deal.

Musk wrote on Saturday that using a civilian commercial service for offensive strikes to kill people had never been allowed. He stated that Starshield is controlled by the US government and that Ukraine had exploited a loophole that was closed last week. The comments highlight the distinction between the commercial product and the state-controlled military variant.

The controversy, which began nearly two weeks ago, appears to be resolving. President Zelenskyy announced over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted. This move removes the speed cap that SpaceX implemented, potentially ending the standoff between the tech company and the Ukrainian military.