Elon Musk says SpaceX cuts Russian military link to Starlink satellites
SpaceX has successfully blocked the Russian military from accessing its Starlink satellite network, which had reportedly been used to target Ukraine, CEO Elon Musk announced Sunday.
Musk said that Russian forces lost access to the company’s satellites after Ukrainian officials alerted him last week about their unauthorized use of the system.
“Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked,” Musk wrote on X.
Ukrainian officials are working with SpaceX to ensure Starlink terminals operate only within Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the first measures had already produced rapid results in countering Russian drones.
“Ukraine, together with @Starlink, has already taken the first steps that delivered rapid results in countering Russian drones,” Fedorov wrote on X. “The next step is implementing a system that will allow only authorized terminals to operate on Ukrainian territory. In the coming days, we will share instructions for Ukrainian users to register their Starlink terminals for verification. Unverified terminals will be disabled.”
Fedorov said Ukrainian authorities contacted SpaceX last Thursday after reports of Russian drones equipped with Starlink connectivity operating over Ukrainian cities. The drones reportedly extended the range of BM-35 strike drones, allowing mid-range attacks against Ukrainian positions, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
SpaceX policy prohibits selling or shipping Starlink terminals to Russia. The company clarified in February 2024 that it does no business with the Kremlin or Russian military. Musk has emphasized that while militaries can use Starlink for defensive purposes, the system cannot be used for offensive attacks. Russian forces are believed to have obtained the terminals by seizing them from occupied Ukrainian areas.
Starlink has been a critical tool for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Fedorov calling the satellite system “essential” for the country’s defense efforts.
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