Musk could let Ukraine use Starlink drones to strike Russian military targets
Photo: Starlink (Getty Images)
Elon Musk is ready to allow Ukraine to use Starlink-equipped drones to strike Russian military targets, but the final decision must be made by the White House, according to the Financial Times.
Musk ready to allow Starlink use
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Elon Musk to allow drones equipped with Starlink terminals to be used to strike Russian military targets up to 200 kilometers from the border. The targets could include ballistic missile launchers.
According to Financial Times sources, Musk previously told Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov that he was ready to grant such permission.
Fedorov did not disclose details of his conversations with Musk. SpaceX and Musk himself did not immediately respond to the publication's requests for comment.
Kyiv seeks to strengthen long-range strikes
Fedorov believes that further development of Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities could become one of the most effective ways to force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war.
However, he said Ukraine needs additional investment in weapons to achieve this.
"We need more jet drones, we need cheap missiles, we need missiles with artificial intelligence," Fedorov said.
He also stated: "You can’t conduct any kind of dialogue with Putin any other way . . . He understands only force."
The proposal involves using Starlink outside Ukraine to control drones capable of striking targets on Russian territory.
However, the possibility of using the system in this way depends not only on Musk's position but also on a decision by the U.S. administration.
Ukraine had previously held talks with Donald Trump and Elon Musk about potentially using Starlink on Russian territory in support of its defense. At the time, Musk did not agree to such an option, while discussions with the US side were still ongoing.
