"This is not a threat"

Musk: Ukraine used Starlink to kill people

After over a week of disruptions to satellite internet service hit Ukrainian military operations, the billionaire says Kyiv violated terms of use by employing the civilian system for lethal drone attacks

Gila Isaacson

OCT 25, 2026 11:30

2 min read

Musk Accuses Ukraine of using Starlink to Kill People

Mark us as a preferred source Follow us on

Russian soldiers under attack by Ukrainian drone, illustration (Photo: social media)

Billionaire Elon Musk sharply criticized Ukraine after more than a week of restrictions on the Starlink satellite internet service disrupted Ukrainian military operations in the war against Russia.

Musk claimed that Ukraine violated the terms of service for the system, which is operated by his company SpaceX, by using it to carry out drone attacks.

"The use of Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for drone attacks intended to kill people was never permitted, nor should it be permitted. Ukraine violated Starlink's terms of use and employed it for drone attacks to kill people. This loophole was closed last week," he wrote.

Musk emphasized the service's importance to Ukraine's defense: "If Starlink is turned off, the Ukrainian front line will collapse immediately. This is not a threat, but a statement of fact." He added that SpaceX has done more for Ukraine's defense than any other private company in the world.

The restrictions were imposed without advance warning and included blocking the service on platforms moving at speeds of approximately 160 km/h and above. Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that access to the service has been restored and that the connection remains stable even at speeds of approximately 400 km/h.