Ukraine seeks expanded Starlink capabilities to counter Russian missiles
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President (Getty Images)
Ukraine needs expanded Starlink and Starshield capabilities to counter Russian missile systems, says the head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with NewsForce.
According to Budanov, Ukraine is interested not only in satellite communications but also in the broader technological capabilities provided by Starlink and Starshield.
They are needed to counter Russian missile systems from which Russia launches missiles at Ukrainian territory.
These capabilities are critically needed for Ukraine to repel attacks and strike the Russian missile systems from which missiles that terrorize Ukraine's civilian population are launched, Budanov said.
He stressed that Ukraine's current access to such capabilities is insufficient.
The Ukrainian side would like to obtain expanded Starlink and Starshield capabilities. This concerns increased coverage specifically.
Starlink for strikes on Russia
At the end of August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there had been attempts to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump and American billionaire Elon Musk regarding the use of Starlink in Russia.
According to The Atlantic, Musk refused to provide Ukraine with such an opportunity. According to sources, one of the reasons could have been his position regarding further escalation of the war and the need for a peace agreement.
Later, Trump said that to obtain permission to use Starlink for strikes on Russian territory, Ukraine needed to speak directly with Musk.
According to the Ukrainian official, the issue of using Starlink to strike targets in Russia was also raised during a meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
