Elon Musk has acknowledged that SpaceX blocked what he says was Ukraine's use of Starlink for offensive drone strikes, accusing Kyiv of breaking the rules for the service. His explanation has drawn a direct challenge from Ukraine, where the military relies on satellite links to fight Russia.

Musk's October 24 post came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Starlink and its military counterpart, Starshield, were working again at their previous speeds. The latest statements bring a new explanation for the restrictions and a dispute over whether Ukraine broke any rules at all.

Musk says SpaceX closed a loophole

In his original post, Musk described Starlink as a civilian commercial service and said using it for offensive drone strikes had never been allowed. He wrote:

"Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week."

He separately said Starshield was controlled by the U.S. government, which decides how it can be used. His post didn't explain whether closing the Starlink loophole also caused the limits Ukraine had reported on Starshield.

Musk also claimed Ukraine's front line would collapse immediately if Starlink were switched off. He insisted that wasn't a threat, while defending SpaceX's role in helping the country resist Russia's invasion.

A Ukrainian response says the drones used Starshield

Serhii Sternenko challenged Musk's explanation in his own October 24 response. He said he had been involved in the Defense Ministry's work on the service and that Ukraine had not violated its terms.

Sternenko said approved-user lists had been introduced in February. Soldiers and civilians could register stationary Starlink terminals, but a terminal that needed to work while moving had to be placed on a separate list and connected to Starshield.

He said that setup made it technically impossible to use civilian Starlink for the drone missions Musk described:

"All drone missions that required satellite communication could only be carried out using Starshield."

He thanked the United States and SpaceX for access to the communications systems while rejecting the accusation that Ukraine had broken the terms.

The earlier limits affected how fast an aircraft could move while keeping its satellite connection. As Apex previously reported, Zelenskyy said on October 22 that Ukraine still faced a limit of about 100 mph, hampering interceptor drones chasing Russian jet-powered Shaheds.

Zelenskyy says the connections are working again

In his October 24 address, published on the presidency's website, Zelenskyy announced:

"The most important thing today is that Starlink and Starshield operations have been restored to the speeds we had before all the restrictions. The speeds are now where they need to be."

He said service had begun returning overnight and was usable by the morning. Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara had reported on the situation, and tests showed both systems were working.

Zelenskyy said the connections were crucial for getting supplies to the front line and defending Ukraine against jet-powered Shahed drones. He thanked American lawmakers, the State Department, the president and others who had helped restore service.

The dispute has also brought demands for answers in Washington. As Apex previously reported, California Democrats Sam Liccardo, Jimmy Panetta and Ro Khanna asked the White House on October 23 to investigate who ordered the restrictions and whether contracts had been broken. Their letter sought an initial briefing within 14 days.

They sent it to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. They also asked whether similar risks could affect other federal contracts with Musk's companies.

Zelenskyy also used his latest address to press for air-defense missile deliveries. He said Ukraine was still waiting for American and European packages that had already been approved, including interceptors needed against Russian ballistic missiles.