Did Elon Musk Just Admit to Slowing Starlink in Ukraine?

SpaceX’s Starlink space-based broadband product Ukraine has used to defend against Russian aggression. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Key Points

Elon Musk said Ukraine’s military violated Starlink terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes, adding that the loophole was closed.
SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s Starlink use by shutting off the service if equipment travels faster than 100 miles an hour.
President Donald Trump denied talking to Elon Musk about the situation, saying that he has not spoken to him.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk waded back into the Starlink-Ukraine controversy over the weekend, talking about terms of service and what he will allow his Starlink space-based broadband product to be used for.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them,” wrote Musk on X. The “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

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The “loophole closed” comment may answer a question investors have been wondering about.

Earlier in October, SpaceX imposed restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink use, essentially shutting the service off if equipment is going more than 100 miles an hour. That might sound odd to investors, but it means that Starlink won’t work on fast-moving drones, limiting Ukraine’s ability to hit some Russian targets.

A private company’s ability to affect a U.S. ally caused some consternation. Musk, however, seemed to indicate President Donald Trump would have to decide to slow service.

The Wall Street Journal, however, recently reported Musk made the call and that Trump needed to intervene, but the president denied talking to Musk. “I have not spoken to him,” he told reporters on Friday. “I wouldn’t tell you if I did know [who ordered Starlink service slowed]. If there is a problem, I’ll get it straight.”

SpaceX and the White House haven’t responded to multiple requests for comment about Starlink service in Ukraine.

Musk’s weekend comments suggest Starlink can’t be used for offensive military operations and that Starshield can, and that he isn’t letting Starlink be used to “kill people,” adding, “SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR. That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell.”

He followed that tweet up with a comment on Sunday indicating that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky posted about using Starlink for offensive drone strikes.

The geopolitically relevant situation remains a watch item for SpaceX investors. It can divide public opinion and affect Starlink sales in the U.S. Don’t forget, Musk’s early involvement in the Trump administration impacted Tesla sales, according to Wall Street, academics, and Tesla itself. (Musk noted “blowback” from the Department of Government Efficiency on Tesla’s first-quarter earnings conference call in April 2025.)

Investors have a lot on their minds lately. SpaceX stock rose 1% this past week after posting blowout third-quarter numbers. Still, shares gave back larger midweek gains after fears about financing the AI boom popped up again after Meta Platforms’ third-quarter results. What’s more, SpaceX is raising another $40 billion in debt to accelerate its AI plans. Sales are growing quickly, but the bonds will yield roughly 8%, or roughly two percentage points above investment-grade bonds.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@barrons.com.

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