The key facts

  • Musk: Starlink can be military infrastructure but not a tool for offensive strikes
  • According to Musk, Ukraine used civilian Starlink for strikes on Russia, and the terms of use were violated
  • The Economist, citing sources, reported restrictions on Starshield's operation

Musk's statement on Starlink's status

American entrepreneur Elon Musk said on the social network X that the Starlink satellite communications system must remain civilian and must not be used for offensive strikes. According to him, the system 'can be used as military infrastructure, but cannot be used for unambiguously offensive strikes that would make it a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike.' Musk also believes that a strike on the satellites would create a large amount of debris and 'make the use of space impossible' (Gazeta.Ru).

Context: reports of Starshield restrictions

On October 23 The Economist reported, citing sources,that Musk had ordered restrictions on the operation of the military Starlink package called Starshield in order to punish Ukraine for strikes on Russian oil refineries. Musk then wrote on X that Ukraine had used civilian Starlink to carry out strikes on Russia, thereby violating the terms of use of the system. According to him, 'that loophole was closed last week'. Earlier, media outlets also learned of a secret deal between the White House and SpaceX (Gazeta.Ru).

Why this matters

Musk's statements touch on the question of the permissible use of civilian satellite infrastructure in an armed conflict and the risks to the satellites themselves in the event of retaliatory strikes. In practical terms, this concerns the terms of Ukraine's access to Starlink and the boundaries between civilian and military use of the system. At the same time, key circumstances — including details of the reported deal between the White House and SpaceX and the actual scale of the Starshield restrictions — remain confirmed only by citing sources of the publications and have not been officially verified.