Kyiv, Feb 2, 2026, 21:07 EET
- SpaceX says steps to curb Russia’s “unauthorised” Starlink use appear to be working
- Ukraine plans to verify Starlink terminals and disable unregistered devices under a new whitelist
- Officials say Russian forces have been fitting Starlink terminals to attack drones to extend their reach
Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX had taken steps to stop Russia’s “unauthorised” use of its Starlink terminals in Ukraine, after Kyiv raised concerns about the system being fitted to attack drones. Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said officials were working on a system to prevent future use. (Reuters)
It matters because Ukraine leans on Starlink for battlefield communications, and for some drone missions, in a war where seconds and signal bars both count. Any Russian access risks turning a critical lifeline into an advantage for the attacker.
Ukrainian officials say they recently found Starlink terminals on long-range drones used in Russian attacks. A satellite link can let operators steer in real time at long distances, while Ukraine’s electronic warfare tries to knock drones off course by jamming GPS and radio signals.
Musk, posting on X, said SpaceX’s steps appeared to have worked and added: “Let us know if more needs to be done.” Fedorov said Kyiv was building a system that would allow only authorised Starlink terminals to operate on Ukrainian territory.
The Wall Street Journal reported SpaceX had started restricting Starlink use tied to Russian drones after Ukraine appealed to the company, citing Musk’s comments. (The Wall Street Journal)
On Monday, Fedorov said the government had adopted a resolution to introduce a whitelist — a list of approved devices — for Starlink satellite terminals. “Soon, only verified and registered terminals will operate in Ukraine. All others will be disabled,” he said, adding the rollout was being implemented with SpaceX. (euronews)
Fedorov said “Russian drones equipped with terminals are difficult to shoot down,” describing them as low-flying and resistant to electronic warfare. He said the new controls were aimed at keeping communications stable for Ukrainians while stripping Russia of a technical edge.
SpaceX has said it does not sell or ship Starlink to Russia and “does not do business” with the Russian government or its military. Ukrainian officials say Russian troops have nevertheless mounted Starlink systems on attack drones.
Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces appeared to be increasingly relying on Starlink to extend the operating range of strike drones and make them harder to jam.
The episode also lands in a crowded satellite-communications market, with Starlink competing against players such as Eutelsat, OneWeb and Viasat for government and defence users.
But a whitelist only works if terminals can be reliably identified and controlled, and if legitimate users do not get swept out in the process. Devices can move across front lines or be bought through intermediaries, and neither side has detailed how the restrictions will be enforced.
Musk switched on Starlink over Ukraine in 2022 after Kyiv pleaded for help in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine says it will now verify every terminal operating in the country and disable the rest, betting that tighter control beats playing catch-up with the next workaround.
