re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Zelensky pushes back against Musk, says Ukraine uses Starshield to defend itself

October 28, 2026 10:43 am

Ukraine has used SpaceX's Starshield satellite systems only to defend itself against Russian forces on its own territory, not for attacks on Russian soil, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 27.

The comments come as a rebuff of SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who claimed Ukraine's "military violated Starlink terms of service" by using the systems for offensive drone attacks.

Ukraine widely uses both commercial Starlink terminals and their militarized version, Starshield.

Starshield was temporarily speed-restricted to 160 kilometers per hour in Ukraine earlier this month, hampering Ukrainian drone interceptors' ability to down Russian jet-powered drones and disrupting other military operations.

"When Elon Musk said that we use Starshield against the Russians — yes, against the Russians, but on our own territory. This is not offensive; it's defensive," Zelensky told journalists at a press briefing.

"But the point is that we use it against Russian troops on our territory, not on Russian territory. They came here to kill," he said.

Musk alleged that Kyiv used commercial Starlink terminals for "offensive drone strikes to kill people," adding that the "loophole" has now been closed. However, he rejected responsibility for Starshield restrictions, saying the militarized terminals are controlled by the U.S. government.

Ukrainian officials have previously rejected Musk's claims about Kyiv violating Starlink's service terms. Presidential adviser Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov said that the commercial Starlink has a speed restriction of 70-90 kilometers per hour and does not work on Russian territory.

Zelensky confirmed on Oct. 24 that both Starlink and Starshield are again working at full speed. Nobody has publicly claimed responsibility for the throttling of Starshield, though Trump administration officials have pointed fingers at Musk.

"Of course, civilians died while Starlink/Starshield were switched off," Zelensky said. "We're now shooting down about 90% of (Shahed-type drones). When the (latest wave of) attacks began, we were shooting down between 50% and 75–78%. Then that rate dropped back again."

The president revealed that Ukraine was just successfully testing its jet-powered Bars drone interceptors — 2,000 units of which were paid for by a European country — when the restrictions hit.

"So I really don't know who told SpaceX to do that," Zelensky said, suggesting it could either be Musk's personal decision or an instruction by a U.S. official. "I only know that, technically, SpaceX turns these systems on and off."

Kyiv Independent

I think the owner of Starsheild has a much better understanding of the hard facts about the offensive use of starsheild in Russian territory.

Zelenski lies a lot. I am sure his military lies just as much about terms of service

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Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Novomoskovsk Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Tula region, with local residents reporting a fire. The plant, part of EuroChem, produces ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, methanol and nitric acid. Public procurement and rail data cited in the reporting link it to supplies of raw materials for the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, a major Russian producer of military explosives.

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Good target selection. Ukraine is hitting the chemical inputs behind moscovian explosives production.

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Ukraine’s overnight strikes targeted the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant in Lipetsk, roughly 300 kilometers away. Flames and thick smoke rose over the area. NLMK, the country’s largest steelmaker, is a major target in Russia’s rear.

THE SCALE Founded in 1934, the Lipetsk complex has annual capacity exceeding 14 million tonnes. NLMK accounts for approximately 18% of Russia’s steel output. A strike on a facility of that size reaches a major part of the industrial base Moscow relies on to sustain its war.

THE WEAPONS LINK NLMK is also Russia’s leading producer of electrical steel, used in transformers and electric motors. Its products have been linked to defence manufacturers supplying missiles, drones and air-defence systems. The target is not only a vast steelworks; it sits upstream of the factories building Russian weapons.

The strike comes as NLMK’s profits are falling sharply, with year-on-year declines reported at 42% in 2024, 48% in 2025 and 54% in the first half of 2026.

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There appears to be agreement between ISW and Rybar on the situation in the Dobropillya direction. This movement is significant.

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There appears to be agreement between ISW and Rybar on the situation in the Dobropillya direction. This movement is significant

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Roughly how much area had been recently taken? Any significant strongholds? It’s hard to gauge a map with no context.

MTBE is primarily from butylene. It's a reactor vessel, a fractionation column and a stripper column, OR it's a reactive distillation column with a stripper column. 40 tons of polypropylene is one hour, or less, production from a polypropylene plant.

Good info, thanks

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It's incredible that the same people denying Zelensky’s explanation completely accept Elon’s with 0 questioning .

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It works both ways.

My take? I don’t know what’s the truth.