August M
Ukrainian officials say a key Western technology meant to protect civilians may be appearing in Russian attacks, raising urgent questions for Kyiv and its allies.
The issue has promp ted direct coordination with one of the world’s most influential tech companies as Ukraine seeks to limit further damage.
According to Reuters, Ukraine is working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to prevent Russia from using the Starlink satellite system to guide attack drones.
Drones raise alarm
Ukrainian officials said they had discovered Starlink terminals attached to long-range Russian drones recovered after recent strikes.
Images of wreckage shared this week on social media showed Starlink equipment mounted on drones believed to have been used in attacks inside Ukraine. Kyiv said Russia may have relied on the system to guide drones that struck a passenger train on Tuesday, killing five people.
Ukraine described that attack as an act of terrorism.
Talks with SpaceX
Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Kyiv had begun working directly with SpaceX to address the problem.
“We are grateful to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and personally to Elon Musk for the quick response and the start of work on resolving the situation,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram.
“Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians, rather than being used for terrorism and destroying peaceful cities,” he added.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
A critical system
Starlink has been central to Ukraine’s war effort since Musk activated the service in early 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Despite occasional public disputes between Musk and Ukrainian officials, the military still relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and for piloting some drone missions, citing their resistance to jamming and stable connections.
SpaceX has said it does not sell or ship Starlink equipment to Russia and does not do business with the Russian government or military.
Growing reports
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said it had seen reports of Russian forces using Starlink-equipped long-range drones as early as September 2024.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, a newly appointed adviser to Fedorov, said there had been “hundreds” of cases involving Starlink-enabled Russian drones.
He warned that the system cannot be neutralised through electronic warfare and that its signals are difficult to detect in flight, making cooperation with SpaceX essential to stopping misuse.
Sources: Reuters, Institute for the Study of War
