Musk: Starlink use is limited to civilian or defense activities
Elon Musk has reiterated that the Starlink satellite system is restricted to civilian and defensive operations, explicitly stating it cannot be utilized for offensive military actions. This clarification follows comments from Ukrainian official Mykhailo Fedorov about the restoration of Starlink’s operational speeds up to 160 km/h, which is crucial for drone operations.
Fedorov emphasized the need for the complete removal of speed restrictions associated with the Starshield service, which is under U.S. government control. Musk pointed out that Starlink is a commercial service owned by SpaceX, further asserting the company’s commitment to adhering to these limitations.
According to Musk, “The use of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities, and it cannot be used for offensive military actions as this would be unacceptable for a commercial company.” His comments come amid reports of operational constraints imposed on Ukrainian forces using Starlink terminals, which complicate logistics and the performance of drone systems.
Context
- On October 9, during a meeting in Miami, U.S. representatives urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, referencing intelligence support, which some perceived as a threat.
- On October 14, it was revealed that operational limitations on Starlink for the Ukrainian Armed Forces were enacted, complicating logistics and drone operations significantly.
- Musk previously supported former President Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine’s strikes against Russian oil refineries, suggesting that President Volodymyr Zelensky had possibly overstepped boundaries.
