Kyiv Independent: Elon Musk Opposes Using Starlink for Strikes on Russian Territory

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk remains opposed to allowing Ukraine to use Starlink to carry out strikes against targets on Russian territory.

The Kyiv Independent reported this, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

On August 30, the Financial Times reported that Musk was allegedly prepared to allow Ukraine to use drones equipped with Starlink systems to strike targets in Russia. Meanwhile, he noted that the final decision should be political and would require White House approval.

According to one source, Musk does not believe allowing Ukraine to use Starlink for operations on Russian territory would help end the war.

Musk reportedly held talks with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which proved “extremely unsuccessful.” Following the talks, the SpaceX CEO allegedly became convinced that he did not want to allow Ukraine to use Starlink for such operations.

The Kyiv Independent notes that Ukraine’s relationship with Musk has long been closely tied to Fedorov, who worked with SpaceX on supplying Starlink systems to the Ukrainian military during the early stages of the full-scale war.

Fedorov, who was dismissed from his position in mid-July, also initiated talks with Musk about restricting Russian forces’ access to Starlink during their combat operations in Ukraine.

After stepping down on August 7, Fedorov said he was still in talks with Musk, but did not disclose what they were discussing or whether the talks had produced any results.

On August 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a misunderstanding between Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Musk, and U.S. President Donald Trump had prevented Ukraine from gaining access to Starlink over Russian territory. He said the dispute also harmed Kyiv’s recently restored relations with the White House.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine’s Defense Ministry had previously told him that Musk had agreed to allow Starlink to be used over Russian territory. According to Zelenskyy, the only remaining step was to obtain final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, after Zelensky persuaded the U.S. president and reached an agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa on a funding package, he learned that Musk had not actually given such approval.

According to Zelensky, his team and representatives of the Trump administration are continuing talks with Musk, hoping to reach a breakthrough.

After talks with Fedorov, Musk’s representatives said that the decision on whether Ukraine could use drones equipped with Starlink systems to carry out strikes on Russian territory should be made by the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official told The Kyiv Independent that Trump administration officials said SpaceX should decide whether to authorize such use.