Ukraine and Russia seeking Starlink alternatives, says Zelensky

Ukraine and Russia are both working on creating their own alternatives to Starlink, the satellite communications system controlled by Elon Musk, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated. Musk limited Russian access to Starlink in Ukraine during the war, potentially disrupting their tactical command and offensive capacity. Zelensky revealed that Russia is teaming up with China to develop their own Starlink-like system, aiming to have it operational by December 2026.

Ukraine, however, plans to implement a similar project with a European nation and is seeking authorisation from Musk and the US administration to utilize Starlink satellites in Russian territory. Musk's relationship with Ukraine has fluctuated since the invasion in 2022, with former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, now ousted, handling their communications.

Zelensky believes that allowing Starlink coverage over Russia could shorten the conflict by limiting Russia's ability to prolong the war. Ukraine is currently targeting Russian ballistic launchers with Patriot systems, which are the only effective defence against these missiles.