ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Thursday that Kyiv is working with SpaceX to address the use of Starlink satellite communication systems on Russian drones, following reports of such UAVs operating over Ukrainian cities.

In a statement on Telegram, Fedorov said the Defense Ministry “promptly contacted SpaceX” and proposed solutions after Russian drones were detected using Starlink communications.

He thanked SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk for what he described as a quick response and the start of work to resolve the issue.

Fedorov said Musk’s decision to activate Starlink and deliver terminals to Ukraine at the start of the war was “critically important” for the country’s stability.

He added: "Western technologies should continue to help the democratic world and protect the civilian population, and not be used for terror and the destruction of peaceful cities.”

The remarks came after Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on US social media company X, urging Musk to stop Russians from using Starlink to target Ukrainian cities.

Musk later responded to another post, saying Starlink is “the backbone of Ukraine military communications,” and stressed that its terms of service prohibit offensive military use, describing Starlink as a civilian commercial system.

The Institute for the Study of War claimed that Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink-equipped drones to extend strike ranges, warning that such mid-range attacks exploit Ukraine’s air defense shortages and pose a broad threat to critical infrastructure.