Fedorov continues talks with Musk on using Starlink to help counter Russian ballistic missiles
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Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Aug. 6 that he remains in talks with Elon Musk over the potential use of Starlink terminals to counter ballistic missile systems deployed on Russian territory.
"We're in touch with Musk; we last spoke a few days ago. And it's, let's just say, a difficult task right now to achieve the outcome we need through this communication," Fedorov said in an interview with his former adviser, Serhii Sternenko.
Starlink terminals are not officially sold or supported in Russia, as SpaceX does not provide services there. Despite this, Russian forces have obtained the terminals through third countries and are using them in occupied Ukrainian territories for communications and drone operations.
Fedorov added that restricting access to the terminals is crucial, warning that Starlink access could give Russia "the ability to control operations from Moscow, fly over roads, change flight paths beyond the reach of our radars and acoustic sensors, take out all the F-16s and Patriots, and strike all military targets."
Fedorov did not provide further details on the status of the negotiations.
Fedorov's statement comes as Ukraine faces a critical shortage of air defense capabilities to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Patriot systems are currently the only weapons in Ukraine's arsenal capable of countering such targets, but Kyiv faces severe shortages of Patriot interceptors, also affected by U.S. military demands related to the war in Iran.
Fedorov, who was controversially dismissed from his post in mid-July, initiated talks with Musk over restricting Starlink access for Russian forces operating in Ukrainian territory. The move was credited with helping Ukraine regain the initiative in early 2026 by disrupting Russian communications and logistics.
Russian forces have since started developing a domestic alternative, the Rassvet ("Dawn" in English) satellite internet network, though the project's status and timeline remain unclear.
