Musk: Starlink Must Stay Civilian So Its Satellites Don't Become Targets
US entrepreneur Elon Musk says the Ukrainian army's use of Starlink is restricted over fears that Russia could shoot down the company's satellites. He warns that destroying them would trigger a chain reaction and a cloud of space debris.
Elon Musk, head of the space company SpaceX, has explained on the social network X why satellite communications from Starlink available to Ukraine's army are restricted. According to him, there are concerns that Russia, which is at war with Ukraine, could start shooting down the company's satellites. The post was reported on 27 October 2026.
Musk: the system must remain civilian
Starlink is a satellite internet system that Ukrainian forces also use. Musk writes that this is exactly why it must remain a civilian system. He says it may be used to support the operation of military infrastructure, but not for clearly offensive strikes, because that would make Starlink a legitimate target for retaliation.
The entrepreneur warns that if an adversary began destroying Starlink satellites, it would set off a chain reaction. This would create a huge cloud of space debris that would make using space impossible.
Earlier restrictions
In mid-October, the Ukrainian army ran into limits on how Starlink terminals worked. When the speed of unmanned aircraft exceeded 160 kilometres per hour, the connection was cut. Western media reported that the restrictions were introduced at Musk's initiative.
Musk later accused Ukraine of using Starlink for offensive drone strikes. The Ukrainian army replied that this is technically impossible, since Starlink does not operate over Russian territory.
