Ukraine reported that SpaceX restricted "military-grade" Starlink services overnight into Wednesday, hampering Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defenses. Musk responded that the US government was behind any slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield system.

Musk says US government controls Starshield in Ukraine

The dispute turned on who owns and runs the military-grade service. On Wednesday, Musk posted on X that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," with any limits on their use decided by the US military or the president. He distinguished the military unit from the civilian network, writing that "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities."

How Starshield works

Starshield is SpaceX's business unit for military and intelligence satellite systems, developed for the Pentagon. Its secure communications service relies on the vast Starlink constellation as its backbone, but runs with enhanced encryption on dedicated terminals.

According to SpaceX, the unit does more than communications:

• •It leverages Starlink's technology, engineering and operational experience.
• •It can provide users with Earth observation.
• •It can integrate sensors or other payloads on satellites.

The Starlink network underneath it consists of more than 11,000 satellites and serves roughly 13 million subscribers, with terminals about the size of a folded newspaper. SpaceX launched the first Starlink satellites in 2019, and the network has since become the company's main profit engine.

The Pentagon and allied customers

The Pentagon is Starshield's largest customer and has spent billions of dollars on both Starlink and Starshield services. It has also bought dedicated Starshield satellites, including missile-warning spacecraft and a spy constellation for the National Reconnaissance Office, Reuters reported in 2024.

Allies have followed:

• •Britain has adopted Starshield, using the same constellation, ground stations and infrastructure as Starlink but with dedicated terminals and separate network gateways, Britain's defence ministry told Reuters.
• •New Zealand is trialling Starshield to assess its usefulness for military operations, the New Zealand Defence Force previously told Reuters.

Starlink's role in Ukraine and earlier price disputes

Starlink gave Ukraine a critical communications advantage early in the war, reshaping battlefield operations. In 2022, Russia threatened Western satellites supporting Ukraine, and SpaceX unveiled Starshield later that year.

Money has also been a point of friction. Earlier this year, the Pentagon clashed with SpaceX over higher prices for satellite services used by military drones during the Iran conflict. SpaceX argued that customers paying roughly $5,000 per terminal for Starlink should instead have been using a Starshield service costing about $25,000 per terminal.

Musk's Wednesday post leaves the current status as he stated it: Starshield systems in Ukraine remain owned and controlled by the US government, with any limits on their use set by the US military or the president.