Musk Confirms Starlink Throttling for Ukraine Military Use
Elon Musk admits SpaceX slowed Starlink access for Ukraine’s military after it was used for offensive strikes.
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Elon Musk has confirmed that SpaceX deliberately slowed Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellite internet after the country’s military used the service for offensive drone strikes against Russia. In a series of posts on X, Musk stated that Ukrainian forces had violated the terms of service governing Starlink by using it for attacks intended to kill people.
Terms of Service Violated
Musk described the workaround Ukraine had found as a ‘loophole’ that SpaceX closed. He emphasized that using the civilian commercial service for offensive drone strikes was never allowed. ‘Ukraine military [sic] violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,’ he wrote.
Distinguishing Starlink and Starshield
Musk made a clear distinction between Starlink, the commercial internet service, and Starshield, a separate military version of the system controlled by the U.S. government. ‘Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them,’ he said, which had caused earlier confusion about who was responsible for the disruption.
Confusion and Clarification
Before Musk’s confirmation, there was confusion about whether the disruption involved Starshield or Starlink. Musk initially suggested that complaints from Ukrainians concerned Starshield rather than Starlink, leaving responsibility unclear. However, he later clarified that the slowdown was due to Starlink being misused.
Reactions and Resolution
The throttling of service angered officials across party lines in the United States and drew criticism from other countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the problem had been resolved by Saturday, confirming that full Starlink service had been restored. ‘The speeds are now at the level we need,’ he wrote in a Telegram post.
Defending SpaceX
In the same posts, Musk defended SpaceX’s record of support for Ukraine, stating that the company had done more to defend the country than any private company on Earth. He also criticized those he accused of prolonging the conflict without offering solutions, expressing ‘UTTER CONTEMPT’ for ‘virtue-signaling evil warmongers.’
Source: Breitbart
