The Financial Times revealed that Elon Musk informed a Ukrainian official of his approval for Kyiv to use the Starlink system to target Russia with drones, and that "the final decision on this matter rests with the White House."
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The newspaper reported that American businessman Musk stated, during a conversation with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, that he would allow the use of the Starlink network to guide Ukrainian drones in launching strikes against Russian territory.
The newspaper had indicated that, given the severe shortage of air defense systems, Vladimir Zelensky was seeking Musk's approval to use Starlink in drones targeting Russia. However, The Atlantic reported in early August that Musk was refusing to allow the use of his service for fear of escalating the conflict.
The Financial Times quoted its sources as saying that Musk told Fedorov he was prepared to enable Ukraine to use Starlink-equipped drones outside its borders to strike Russian targets, but stressed that this measure remains a political decision for the White House to make.
Fedorov declined to comment on the content of his conversations with Musk, while SpaceX and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a related context, Zelenskyy had awarded Musk the Medal of Freedom last week, in recognition of his outstanding services in protecting lives and freedoms, and promoting relations between the people of Ukraine and the United States.
On another front, Russia believes that the influx of weapons into Ukraine is hindering the settlement process and directly involving NATO countries in the conflict, deeming it "playing with fire." The Kremlin asserted that Western arming of Kyiv does not serve the negotiations but rather negatively impacts the situation.
