Musk refuses to allow Ukraine to use Starlink to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers, - Atlantic
Ukraine wants to use Starlink to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers with greater precision. To this end, former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has attempted on several occasions, via secret channels, to reach an agreement with the American billionaire Elon Musk.
This is reported by The Atlantic journalists Missy Ryan and Simon Shuster, according to Censor.NET.
Musk’s refusal and a call for a "deal"
"At present, there has been no positive decision," said one of the publication’s sources.
According to him, Musk continues to argue with Fedorov, believing that using Starlink for such purposes could lead to a further escalation of the war.
"Elon keeps saying that it’s time to reach an agreement," said the former minister’s associate.
Zelenskyy’s appeal to Trump
According to sources, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked him to appeal to Musk to allow the use of the Starlink satellite system.
As the publication notes, Trump did not give a clear answer to this request.
Successful experience of past cooperation
The Atlantic recalls that last winter, Russian troops used Starlink to guide their drones in strikes against Ukraine. This technology allowed the Russians to bypass Ukraine’s air defence system and strike any targets.
As a result, Fyodorov made an urgent appeal to Musk for help. At the end of January, Musk rang Fyodorov whilst he was celebrating his daughter’s birthday. It is noted that this conversation led to the development of a plan to block Russian access to Starlink terminals.
The publication adds that Fedorov continues to try to persuade Musk of the possibility of using Starlink to strike military targets on Russian territory, but so far without success.
- It should be recalled that Fyodorov previouslyreported that he is continuing negotiations with SpaceX owner Elon Musk regarding the possibility of using the Starlink satellite internet service to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers on Russian territory.
