Ukraine rejects Musk's claim that Starlink enabled fast drone strikes
Officials state existing speed caps made the alleged violation physically impossible, even as the president says new restrictions have been lifted.
By Chioma Brooks ·
Elon Musk accused Ukraine on Saturday of breaking Starlink terms of service by using the civilian satellite network for offensive drone strikes. The dispute follows SpaceX's decision to restrict the use of its technology on drones traveling above specific velocity thresholds.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rejected the allegation in a Telegram post on Sunday. Beskrestnov stated that all Starlink terminals operating over Ukrainian territory, including areas occupied by Russia, already faced a movement speed limit ranging from 70 to 90 kilometers per hour. He described the scenario Musk described as physically impossible under those existing parameters.
Musk maintained that Starlink, a commercial service, was never intended for lethal operations. He distinguished the system from Starshield, a military variant controlled by the US government. Musk wrote that Ukraine exploited a loophole in the civilian terms to kill people with fast drones and that SpaceX closed that loophole last week.
Ukrainian officials have previously complained that Musk throttled their access to Starshield under a deal with the US government. Beskrestnov added that Starlink does not function over Russian territory, further limiting the network's utility for cross-border strikes.
President Zelenskyy announced over the weekend that the new satellite restrictions have been lifted. This move may end a controversy that began almost two weeks ago when the initial speed caps were introduced.
Source: Ars Technica
