What against US policy?
You can check the list of sanctions imposed on Ukraine/Russia, which regions, types of activity and subjects, along with the exceptions and licenses at:
https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/ukraine-russia-related-sanctions
You may notice that US citizens have been forbidden from providing telecommunications services, including via satellite, in the conflict areas since early 2022, requiring a special license to operate.
Starlink didn't have such license, and only got a DoD agreement in mid 2023.
In late 2022, Musk would've had to break that policy in order to allow the drones to be controlled into the conflict zone.
As for him saying so... I don't think he's the type to paint himself as subservient to the government, even if he is; more like the megalomaniac type claiming to have stopped WW3 barehanded, even if he literally did nothing.