Ukraine's Fedorov in talks with Musk over Starlink use against Russian missiles

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's former Defense Minister, revealed on August 6, 2026, that he continues to engage in discussions with Elon Musk concerning the potential deployment of Starlink terminals to counter Russian ballistic missile systems. Fedorov characterized the ongoing negotiations as challenging, stating, "it's, let's just say, a difficult task right now to achieve the outcome we need through this communication." He last spoke with Musk a few days prior to the interview.

SpaceX does not officially offer Starlink services in Russia. However, Russian military forces have managed to acquire these terminals through third-party channels and are employing them for communication and drone operations within occupied Ukrainian territories. Fedorov emphasized the critical need to restrict Starlink access, warning that its availability to Russia could enable Moscow to control operations, evade Ukrainian radar detection, neutralize air defense systems like F-16s and Patriots, and strike military targets with impunity.

Ukraine is currently facing a significant deficit in air defense capabilities necessary to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. The Patriot system is the primary available weapon for such intercepts, but Kyiv is experiencing severe shortages of Patriot interceptors, a situation exacerbated by U.S. military demands related to the conflict in Iran. Fedorov, who was dismissed from his ministerial post in mid-July, had previously initiated discussions with Musk aimed at limiting Starlink's use by Russian forces operating in Ukraine. This initiative was credited with helping Ukraine regain strategic initiative in early 2026 by disrupting Russian communications and logistics.

In response to these developments, Russian forces have reportedly begun developing their own domestic satellite internet network, named Rassvet, though the project's current status and projected timeline remain uncertain.