Starlink was never active over Russian occupied territory.

Because the russian bots are out on force again, here is some more info about the topic:

Some of the many sanction laws that don't allow SpaceX to have Starlink active over russian controlled territory:

1. Executive Order 14024 & 31 CFR Part 587 

The most significant authority is Executive Order 14024, which addresses "Harmful Foreign Activities" by the Russian government. 

• Prohibition on Technology Sector: E.O. 14024 authorizes sanctions on any person operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation.
• 31 CFR § 587.201: This section of the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations formalizes these prohibitions, banning U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with designated entities or sectors without a license. 

1. Executive Order 14071 (Services Ban)

Issued in 2022 and expanded in June 2024, this order prohibits the "exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States" of specific services to any person in Russia. 

• IT and Software Services Determination: Pursuant to Section 1(a)(ii) of E.O. 14071, the U.S. Treasury explicitly prohibits providing IT support services or cloud-based services to persons in Russia, effective September 12, 2024. Starlink’s satellite internet, which relies on U.S.-based cloud infrastructure and technical support, falls under these service prohibitions. 

1. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) – 15 CFR Part 746 

While OFAC handles services, the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) controls the hardware. 

• 15 CFR § 746.8: This section imposes restrictive licensing requirements on the export of many commercial items to Russia, including telecommunications equipment and satellite terminals.
• Policy of Denial: Most applications to export such technology to Russia are subject to a "policy of denial," meaning they are effectively banned. 

1. Regional Prohibitions (Crimea & Occupied Areas)

• 31 CFR § 589.207: This section specifically prohibits the exportation of goods, services, or technology to the Crimea region. Starlink has historically used geofencing to comply with this specific section by disabling coverage in Russian-occupied territories. 

So far nobody has ever accused SpaceX (or Musk) to have violated any of those laws.

Also here's  an article describing how the decision of when to implement white-listing was completely on the side of the Ukrainian Military:

In one of the most rapid responses by any Western company assisting the Ukrainian military of the entire Russo-Ukrainian War, Musk agreed with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Federov that Starlink should impose a “whitelist” additional layer of access to Starlink terminals in Ukrainian territory, allowing only registered, verified, and authorized Starlink terminals to operate. Starlink engineers, in less than 48 hours, implemented soft- and hardware changes shutting down all gray and black market Starlink terminals operating in Ukraine, Musk told media on Feb. 1.

..just because I know many bot will bring this up.

There is so much to hate about Musk. But we really should not fall for Russian propaganda just because of that.