Ukraine on Sunday thanked Elon Musk after SpaceX’s efforts to stop the “unauthorised” use of its Starlink internet system by Russia appeared to have worked, preventing Moscow from exploiting the satellites for drone attacks.
Musk confirmed the development on X, saying, “Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done.”
His post came in response to a message from Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2026
Ukraine relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and for piloting
some drones. Last week, Ukrainian officials said Starlink terminals had been found on Russian long-range drones.
In his post on X, Fedorov said Ukraine was now developing a system to ensure that only authorised Starlink terminals work on Ukrainian territory.
“Ukraine, together with Starlink, has already taken the first steps that delivered rapid results in countering Russian drones. The next step is implementing a system that will allow only authorized terminals to operate on the territory of Ukraine,” he wrote.
The defence minister added that unverified terminals would be disabled and that instructions for registering Starlink devices would be shared in the coming days. He also thanked SpaceX and Musk for their “collaboration and proactive support of Ukrainians.”
In February 2024, SpaceX clarified that it does not sell or ship Starlink to Russia and does not do business with the Russian government or military.
Musk initially activated Starlink service over Ukraine in 2022 after Kyiv appealed for help in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since then, the satellite network has become a vital tool for Ukraine’s military communications and drone operations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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