Ukraine launches verification procedure of Starlink terminals, in cooperation with SpaceX

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Monday that his country is launching a verification procedure of Starlink terminals situated in Ukraine.

Fedorov said on Telegram that the Ukrainian government has adopted a resolution on the introduction of a “white list” for Starlink terminals, after which only verified and registered terminals will be able to operate in Ukraine.

“Everything else will be disconnected,” Fedorov said, noting the initiative, which will be implemented in coordination with SpaceX, was put forward in reaction to "the use of Starlink by the Russians."

Late last month, Fedorov said that the Defense Ministry contacted SpaceX “within hours of reports that Russian drones equipped with Starlink connectivity were operating over Ukrainian cities.”

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.

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.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War separately 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.

Starlink cannot be sold or used in Russia because of US sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine war, which will enter its fifth year later this month.