Elon Musk denied that he had personally taken the decision to restrict the use of Starshield by the Ukrainian military. He stated on X that the system belongs to the US government, and that the rules governing its use are determined by the US military and, ultimately, by President Donald Trump. Ukrainian units reported that communication disruptions had disrupted certain combat missions.
Briefly about the main points
- Musk stated that he had not made any decisions regarding restrictions on Starshield.
- According to him, the rules governing the use of the system are determined by the US military leadership.
- Disruptions were recorded whilst the terminals were operating on various platforms.
- The issue affected interceptors, reconnaissance, medium-range drones and logistics.
- Ukraine is testing its backup communications and consulting with the US and SpaceX.
Musk described Starshield as a system controlled by the US government
Statement. Mask came in the wake of reports of changes to the communications system for Ukrainian drones. The businessman claims that Starshield is the property of the US Government, and restrictions on such equipment are set by the US Armed Forces. According to him, the US President has the final authority regarding the use of the system.
Starshield — a specialised system SpaceX for government clients in the field of national security, utilising Starlink technology. On the company’s website, this service is distinguished from the commercial service Starlink and it is stated that they are intended for use by government bodies. At the same time, Musk’s comments do not name a specific body or official who took the decision to change the rules for Ukraine.
Interruptions occurred whilst the terminals were in operation and disrupted the drones’ operations
On the night of 14 October, the Ukrainian military reported a loss of satellite communication whilst the Starshield terminals were in transit. The President’s adviser on defence technologies Sergey Beskrestnov, known as «Flash», said that a threshold of 100 miles per hour — approximately 160 km/h — had been set. According to him, the Defence Forces had not been warned of the changes.
Sources at the Ministry of Defence, as reported by «Interfax-Ukraine», stated that communication was lost on various platforms at speeds ranging from approximately 72 to 161 km/h. Reuters reported that the Ukrainian military had stated that the communication link was lost for 10–20 seconds during flight.
The disruptions affected interceptor drones, medium-range drones, reconnaissance and frontline logistics. The problem had the most severe impact on systems designed to counter Russian «Shahed» rockets, which require rapid interception and a stable control link.
Ukraine is gathering data and discussing the issue with the US
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence is in contact with the United States, SpaceX and NATO partners. At the same time, the military is gathering information on disruptions within its units and checking backup communication channels.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy He described the restrictions as a mistake and called for the system to be restored to full operation for Ukrainian defenders. He warned that an unreliable connection could weaken air defence capabilities, particularly when intercepting high-speed Russian drones.
Beskrestnov suggested that the changes might be linked to the political situation and tensions between Kyiv and Washington, but did not provide any public evidence to support this. As of the evening of 14 October, the restrictions had been confirmed by reports from the Defence Forces, whilst consultations on restoring the system to stable operation were ongoing.
