Elon Musk says SpaceX closed Ukraine Starlink ‘loophole,’ while Kyiv denies breaching terms

Key Points:

• Elon Musk's SpaceX imposed limits on Starlink satellite service in Ukraine last week, citing violations of terms of service related to offensive drone strikes, causing disruption to Ukrainian military operations.
• Ukraine reported that Starlink and its military variant Starshield are now fully functional after the outage, with speeds returning to normal and the connection remaining stable above 250 Mbps.
• Ukrainian officials and advisers disputed Musk’s claims, stating that commercial Starlink cannot be used for deep or mid-range drone strikes and that military drone missions rely on the Starshield system.
• The restrictions coincided with strained US-Ukraine relations and a temporary interruption in US intelligence warnings; Ukraine is pursuing development of a sovereign satellite communications system with European partners to gain more control.
• Musk criticized critics as warmongers, expressed willingness for Ukraine’s leadership change, and emphasized Starlink’s critical role in Ukraine’s defense, warning that disabling it would collapse the front line immediately.