Ukraine has announced that its Starlink satellite internet system and military-grade Starshield service have returned to normal operations following more than a week of restrictions that disrupted military activities, as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accused Kyiv of violating the company’s terms of service.
The Ukrainian government said on Saturday that the services had resumed their previous operating speeds.
However, Musk later alleged that the country’s military had used Starlink to support offensive drone attacks, prompting the company to introduce restrictions.
“Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” Musk said on X.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov rejected the allegation, saying the country’s military could not use Starlink for long- and medium-range offensive drone operations.
Ukraine’s general staff and defence ministry had not immediately commented on Musk’s statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the restoration of the services began overnight, bringing their performance back to the levels required by the military.
“The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram.
Ukraine’s defence ministry also reported that the connection was stable at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour.
Beskrestnov maintained that Ukraine’s long-range drones used in operations against Russian territory, including oil refineries, typically travelled at speeds of between 70 and 90 kilometres per hour.
Despite the dispute, Starlink remains crucial to communications along the frontline, while Starshield-enabled medium-range attack drones have helped Ukrainian forces gain advantages in several battlefield areas this year.
The restrictions reportedly limited Starshield operations to speeds of 160 kilometres per hour, affecting Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones and forcing the military to cancel some operations.
The disruption also coincided with problems affecting allied warnings about incoming Russian missile attacks, although Kyiv said it continued to receive intelligence from the United States.
The dispute has also raised questions about responsibility for the restrictions.
Musk and US officials have publicly suggested that the other party was responsible for decisions to limit the services.
Reports indicated that the order to restrict Starshield originated within the White House.
Previous US administrations had also asked SpaceX to activate or suspend Starlink services in different countries, according to sources cited in earlier reports.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would resolve any continuing problems with Ukraine’s access to the satellite services, despite having previously indicated that the services had been fully restored.
