Ukraine asks Elon Musk to use Starlink against Russian targets

Volodymyr Zelensky announced during a press conference on August 22 that kyiv was asking Elon Musk to use Starlink against Russian missile launchers.News, appmap, elon, musk, russian, Seeks, technology, Ukraine, PAKET AFE, newsVolodymyr Zelensky announced during a press conference on August 22 that kyiv was asking Elon Musk to use Starlink against Russian missile launchers.

Volodymyr Zelensky a annoncé lors d'une conférence de presse le 22 août que Kiev sollicitait Elon Musk pour utiliser Starlink contre des lance-missiles russes. Le président a précisé que le ministère de la Défense avait formulé cette demande au premier semestre 2026. L'objectif est de déployer des drones à longue portée depuis le territoire russe. Cette initiative vise à renforcer la capacité de l'Ukraine à frapper des cibles stratégiques.

This request marks a new stage in the crucial involvement of the satellite communications system in the conflict. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Starlink terminals provided by SpaceX have become indispensable for the Ukrainian armed forces, serving not only for tactical coordination on the ground, but also for piloting numerous reconnaissance and attack drones.

Until now, the policy of use of Starlink technology imposed by the American company remained governed by strict geographical and technical restrictions. Elon Musk and his teams have regularly expressed their desire not to see this civilian network transformed into an instrument of offensive military escalation, fearing to directly involve SpaceX in deep strike operations in Russian territory.

On kyiv's side, the argument is based on the absolute necessity of neutralizing missile launch platforms which weigh heavily on civilian infrastructure and the front lines. The use of long-range satellite-guided drones would make it possible to preemptively target this equipment before it can even fire, thus reducing the effectiveness of bombing carried out by Moscow.

The official response from SpaceX management and Elon Musk to this specific request from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is currently awaited. This new dossier highlights the growing geopolitical dependence of modern states and armies on private space infrastructures, a subject which is sparking lively discussions within the international community on the regulation of these dual technologies.