Kyiv seeks Elon Musk's approval to use Starlink for deep strikes inside Russia

Ukraine has approached Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, to obtain authorization for utilizing Starlink-equipped drones to target Russian missile launchers located up to 200 kilometers within Russia, according to The Financial Times. The Ukrainian government aims to utilize these drones to address a significant shortage of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles.

They believe that Starlink will safeguard long-range drones from electronic warfare and maintain stable communication with operators during strikes on Russian launchers, command centers, and logistics facilities. Military expert Franz-Stefan Gady confirmed that drones with similar capabilities have demonstrated effectiveness on the Ukrainian battlefield.

If deployed beyond the country's borders, such drones "could be very useful in hunting" Russian missile launchers. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested a meeting between Trump and Musk during their White House summit in July to discuss securing permission for Ukraine to use Starlink beyond its borders to target Russian ballistic missile launchers.

However, Trump expressed no clear stance on the matter. Earlier this year, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov reported that Russian forces may have started incorporating Starlink terminals into their Shahed attack drones. Elon Musk subsequently stated that steps to prevent Russia from misusing Starlink had apparently been successful.