Fedorov continues talks with Musk on using Starlink to help counter Russian ballistic missiles
"We're in touch with Musk; we last spoke a few days ago. And it's, let's just say, a difficult task right now to achieve the outcome we need through this communication," Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with his former adviser, Serhii Sternenko.
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov disclosed on August 6 that discussions with Elon Musk regarding the potential use of Starlink terminals to counter Russian ballistic missile systems in Russian territory persist. Fedorov mentioned that his last conversation with Musk occurred a few days ago, noting that finding the desired outcome through this channel is currently a challenging endeavor.
Starlink terminals are not officially available or supported in Russia due to SpaceX's lack of service provision there. Nevertheless, Russian forces have managed to acquire these terminals via third countries and are employing them in occupied Ukrainian regions for communication purposes and drone operations.
Fedorov emphasized that limiting access to these terminals is of paramount importance, warning that such access could enable Russia to exert control over operations from Moscow, navigate over roads, alter flight paths beyond the purview of Ukrainian radars and acoustic sensors, neutralize all F-16s and Patriot systems, and strike all military targets. He did not furnish additional specifics on the progress of the negotiations.
This statement arrives at a critical juncture for Ukraine, which is grappling with a severe shortage of air defense capabilities to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Presently, Patriot systems constitute Ukraine's sole defense against such targets; however, Kyiv is facing a significant deficit of Patriot interceptors due to U.S. military requisitions tied to the war in Iran.
Fedorov, who was dismissed from his position in mid-July amidst controversy, initiated talks with Musk to restrict Starlink access for Russian forces operating within Ukrainian territory. This maneuver reportedly contributed to Ukraine's resurgence in early 2026 by disrupting Russian communications and logistics. Russian forces are now in the process of establishing a domestic alternative, the Rassvet (Dawn) satellite internet network; however, the project's status and timeline remain ambiguous.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
