SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said his company restricted Ukraine's Starlink satellite service over alleged violations involving offensive drone strikes, an accusation disputed by Ukrainian officials.
The restrictions disrupted military communications and drone operations before connectivity was restored over the weekend, amid mounting tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
Musk said Saturday that SpaceX had closed a loophole allowing Ukraine to use commercial Starlink connections for offensive drone operations, arguing that such activity violated the service's terms.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov rejected the allegation, explaining that commercial Starlink terminals face speed restrictions and cannot operate over Russian territory, making deep strikes using the civilian network technically impossible.
Former Ukrainian defense ministry drone adviser Serhii Sternenko similarly maintained that missions requiring satellite communications relied on Starshield, the military-grade system operated under US government authority.
Ukrainian officials previously reported that restrictions limited Starshield operations to approximately 100 mph, disrupting interceptor drones and forcing some military missions to be canceled.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently confirmed that connection speeds were returning to normal, while Ukraine's defense ministry reported stable connectivity exceeding 250 mph.
The disruption coincided with disagreements between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, alongside US decisions to ease Russian sanctions and arrange diesel supplies.
President Donald Trump indicated that Musk had been told to restore the service, although he declined to clarify who contacted the billionaire.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued across Ukraine, killing three people and injuring 15 in Dnipropetrovsk, while another six were injured in Vinnytsia.
Ukraine also reported striking an industrial facility in Russia's Oryol region, where Russian authorities said three people were killed.
Amid concerns over reliance on SpaceX, Ukraine announced cooperation with Nokia and Finnish satellite company ICEYE to develop sovereign satellite communications capabilities.
The initiative reflects Kyiv's growing emphasis on controlling essential military communications infrastructure as fighting continues.