‘It’s very strange that Elon Musk doesn’t know’: Ukraine disputes SpaceX CEO on the basic facts after Starshield access is restored

Ukrainian defense advisers challenged Musk’s claims, arguing that existing restrictions make it impossible to use civilian Starlink for medium- and long-range drone strikes.

Serhii Sternenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s defense ministry, said civilian Starlink terminals face speed limits and cannot operate over Russian territory. Missions requiring high-speed satellite connectivity instead rely on Starshield, the military-grade service controlled by the U.S. government.

“As someone who was inside the process at the Ministry of Defense, I can say for sure that this is not true,” Sternenko wrote on Telegram, according to Business Insider.

The technical restrictions date to February, when SpaceX worked with Ukraine to prevent Russian forces from accessing the network through unauthorized Starlink terminals.

Serhii Beskrestnov, who CBC News described as a defense technology adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also disputed Musk’s claims.

“It’s very strange that Elon Musk doesn’t know about the restrictions on Starlink’s operation in Ukraine,” Beskrestnov wrote in a post online, CBC News reported.

However, Musk pointed to an X post from Zelenskyy earlier this month that referenced Starlink being used for mid-range strikes. Business Insider noted that Zelenskyy appeared to be using Starlink and Starshield interchangeably, referring to the military-grade service rather than the civilian network.

The disagreement comes on the heels of a 10-day disruption to Starshield that interfered with Ukrainian drone operations and air defenses. Although service was restored Saturday, the circumstances surrounding the slowdown remain unclear. As Moneywise reported, the outage also prompted debate over whether the U.S. military has become too dependent on SpaceX.

Who actually controls Ukraine’s Starshield access?

The more immediate question, however, is who had the authority to restrict Ukraine’s access to Starshield in the first place.

Although SpaceX operates Starshield, it provides the service to the Pentagon under government contracts. According to CBS News, the U.S. government determines who can access it, but the lines of operational authority between SpaceX and the Pentagon remain unclear.

News reports have offered different explanations. Reuters, citing U.S. officials, reported earlier this month that the order to restrict Ukraine’s access originated from inside the White House. However, The Wall Street Journal later reported that Musk personally ordered the slowdown.

The competing accounts have drawn attention from Congress. Last week, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal opened an inquiry into Ukraine’s loss of access to Starshield.

“The episode raises urgent questions about who possesses the technical and legal authority to alter these capabilities,” Blumenthal wrote in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Reuters.

Blumenthal also questioned whether the Pentagon has “sufficient alternatives” if SpaceX services become unavailable. He requested written answers by Nov. 5 and a briefing from SpaceX officials by Nov. 12.