Elon Musk reportedly does not support Ukraine’s intention to utilize Starlink for military operations against Russia, as per sources from The Kyiv Independent. According to insiders, Musk believes that deploying Starlink for strikes within Russian territory will not lead to a resolution of the ongoing conflict.
“Musk desires a settlement in this war, rather than escalation,” one source stated.
Previously, the Financial Times had indicated that Musk might be amenable to allowing Ukraine to use drones equipped with Starlink for strikes on Russian targets. However, he has maintained that any final decision regarding this must be political and require approval from the White House.
Reports suggest that Musk’s discussions with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov were significantly unproductive. Following these discussions, Musk supposedly chose to deny Ukraine permission for such military operations.
On August 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that misunderstandings among Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, Musk, and former President Trump led Kyiv to mistakenly believe that Musk had already agreed to the use of Starlink in Russian airspace, with only U.S. presidential consent needed. It later became clear that Musk had not granted such permission.
Ukraine currently employs Starlink drones to target areas in occupied territories but does not have operational terminals over Russian land. Kyiv is considering the possibility of utilizing them there, particularly to effectively strike Russian ballistic missile launch sites.
Background Information
- On August 6, Fedorov confirmed efforts to secure the ability to use Starlink infrastructure for strikes against Russian ballistic missile launch sites within Russia. Reports indicate that Musk is currently denying Ukraine this capability. Sources note that Musk is concerned about the risks of potential escalation, stating, “There is no positive decision at this time—Elon keeps insisting it’s time to make a deal.”
- Media outlets have reported that during a meeting with President Trump at the White House, Zelensky requested permission to use Starlink for long-range drone strikes against Russia, but Trump did not provide a clear response at that time.
