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According to Musk, Ukraine just have to say the word, if anything else needs to be done.
Starlink, the satellite network owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, plays a central role in Ukraine’s battlefield communications, with many commanders favoring it over traditional radio links for its reliability and security.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has received more than 50,000 Starlink terminals, while SpaceX has said it does not sell or supply the system to Russia.
But even though Starlink cannot be used by or sold to Russia under U.S. sanctions, Ukraine says Russia has been able to bypass these restrictions.
Makes drones fly farther
Last week, Ukrainian officials said they had collected evidence that Russian forces were using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite systems to enable their drones to fly farther into Ukrainian territory, CNN reported on Thursday, January 29.
Ukraine’s recently appointed Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was previously in charge of drone development and procurement as minister for science, technology and digital transformation, said on Thursday that Ukraine had contacted Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which owns Starlink, and that the contact has now proven fruitful.
“Real results”
According to The Kyiv Independent, Fedorov said on Feb. 1 that SpaceX’s initial measures had produced “real results,” without detailing the technical steps involved.
He said unverified Starlink terminals would be disabled, following Kyiv’s request that the company prevent Russian forces from accessing the network.
Elon Musk wrote the same day that efforts to stop “unauthorized” Russian use of Starlink appeared to be effective, adding: “Let us know if more needs to be done.”
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Next steps planned
Fedorov said Ukraine is working “very closely” with Musk’s team on further measures, including a system to ensure that only approved terminals can operate inside the country.
In response to Musk’s message, Fedorov wrote: “Thank you for standing with us. You are a true champion of freedom and a true friend of the Ukrainian people.”
Fedorov’s advisor, Serhii Beskrestnov, said on Jan. 31 that current actions were temporary and would later be replaced by broader “global solutions” to counter the threat from enemy drones.
Musk has denied past reports of Russian access and has insisted that Starlink “will never” shut off service in Ukraine, despite earlier tensions and debates over Kyiv’s reliance on the network.
Sources: Ukrainian Defense Ministry, SpaceX, X posts, The Kyiv Independent, CNN
