Kyiv is asking Musk to let it strike inside Russia. Its best line to Musk is gone
Running low on Patriot interceptors, Kyiv wants to hunt the launchers up to 200 km inside Russia—but only Musk can switch the drones on.
Ukraine has approached Elon Musk about deploying deep-strike drones equipped with its Starlink network to target Russian ballistic missile launchers located deep within Russia's territory, according to the Financial Times. However, Musk's approval is crucial, and previous attempts to convince President Donald Trump to lobby Musk on Ukraine's behalf have been unsuccessful.
The Ukrainian government is seeking this option due to the strain on its air defenses, as Russia continues to intensify its missile and drone attacks, depleting Ukraine's supply of effective Patriot interceptors. Zelenskyy urged Trump to intercede with Musk for a limited 200 km range into Russian territory, believing it would increase Musk's likelihood of agreement.
Starlink's drones offer a more reliable connection and resistance to jamming compared to conventional drones, and military analysts believe they could prove valuable in detecting and neutralizing Russian launchers. Unfortunately, Ukraine's main avenue for communication with Musk has been severed following the dismissal of President Zelenskyy's defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was a key intermediary.
Despite this setback, it remains uncertain whether Musk will consider Ukraine's proposal for cross-border drone strikes.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
