Musk confirms SpaceX throttled Starlink speeds in Ukraine dispute

SpaceX chief Elon Musk confirmed Saturday that his company was responsible for speed restrictions on Starlink services in Ukraine that had disrupted military operations for over a week. Musk stated the throttling was implemented because Ukraine's armed forces were using the civilian commercial service for offensive drone operations, which he said violates the platform's terms of service.

"Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be," Musk wrote in a post on the X platform. He argued that Ukraine's military had breached the service agreement by employing Starlink for attack operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Saturday morning that Starlink and Starshield satellite links had been restored to their previous speeds following overnight restoration efforts. "The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelenskyy stated, noting that the improved connectivity would enhance front-line logistics and defensive capabilities against Russian Shahed drone attacks.

The week-long speed reduction had significantly impacted Ukraine's ability to coordinate military operations and coordinate defences along the front lines. The restoration marks a resolution to the dispute between the Ukrainian government and SpaceX over the use of satellite internet services in active military operations.