Ukraine asks Musk to allow Starlink to be used to strike Russia
Ukraine has asked Elon Musk to allow the use of drones equipped with Starlink satellite communications to strike Russian missile launchers up to 200 km deep into Russian territory.
According to Censor.NET, The Financial Times reports this, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Kyiv views this as a way to strengthen its defenses against Russian ballistic missile strikes amid a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Zelensky asked Trump to speak with Musk
According to sources, during a meeting at the White House in July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Donald Trump to discuss with Musk the possibility of using Starlink outside of Ukraine.
The plan involves equipping Ukrainian long-range drones with Starlink to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers, command centers, and other infrastructure located up to 200 km from the Ukrainian border.
According to the publication's sources, Trump did not commit to supporting this proposal.
Against the backdrop of Russia's ramp-up of missile and drone production, Ukraine may need hundreds of Patriot interceptors by the end of the year, according to military analyst Franz-Stefan Gadi.
Therefore, Kyiv is seeking a more proactive approach—striking Russian launchers and other elements of the missile infrastructure before a launch takes place.
According to Gadi, the use of such drones outside Ukraine could be effective in locating and destroying Russian missile launchers.
Musk had previously prohibited the use of Starlink for strikes against Russia
Elon Musk had previously refused to allow the Ukrainian military to use Starlink to launch strikes against Russian territory. In 2022, he restricted Starlink operations during a Ukrainian military operation near occupied Crimea, citing concerns about a possible nuclear escalation as the reason for his decision.
At the same time, SpaceX continues to provide Ukraine with Starlink for military communications and the operation of unmanned systems.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had previously been in direct contact with Musk, continued to communicate with the American billionaire after his dismissal.
According to Fedorov, Musk is "probably the most important person and entrepreneur in the world for our country." At the same time, on August 6, he acknowledged that they had not yet succeeded in convincing Musk to allow the use of Starlink across the Russian border.
After yet another round of praise for Musk from Fedorov, the SpaceX CEO replied that he is trying to "do the right thing" and hopes that peace will come soon. However, he did not specifically mention Ukraine’s request regarding Starlink.
