Elon Musk said on Sunday that actions taken by SpaceX to curb Russia’s “unauthorized” use of its Starlink satellite internet network appear to have been effective, as Ukraine’s defence leadership said efforts are underway to block any future access by Moscow.
Ukraine’s military depends on tens of thousands of Starlink connections for frontline communications and some drone operations, but said this week it had discovered Starlink terminals installed on long-range drones used in Russian attacks.
Kyiv said it is cooperating with SpaceX to prevent Russia from using the system to guide drones.
“Seems the steps we took to stop Russia’s unauthorized use of Starlink have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done,” Musk said on X.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Kyiv is developing a system that would allow only approved Starlink terminals to function within Ukraine.
“Ukraine, together with @Starlink, has already taken initial steps that produced quick results in countering Russian drones,” he wrote, adding that the next phase is restricting access to authorised terminals only.
SpaceX has said it does not sell or ship Starlink equipment to Russia and does not conduct any business with the Russian government or military.
Musk activated Starlink services in Ukraine in 2022 after Kyiv requested support during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.