During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Elon Musk’s SpaceX company’s Starlink equipment has been providing support to the Ukrainian military, with Russian forces capturing many of these devices as a result. SpaceX and Ukraine have been working tirelessly to prevent the Russian military from using these seized equipments, and Musk confirmed on Sunday that measures to prevent Russian forces from utilizing the Starlink devices have been effective.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Ukraine is developing a system that only allows authorized Starlink terminals to operate within Ukrainian territory.
On Sunday, Fedorov wrote on social media platform X, stating, “Ukraine is collaborating with Starlink and has taken preliminary measures that have quickly yielded results in countering Russian drones.”
He added, “The next step is to implement a system that only permits authorized (Starlink) terminals to operate within Ukrainian territory.”
He confirmed reports about Russian drones operating above Ukrainian cities through the Starlink network. Ukrainian officials immediately contacted SpaceX seeking solutions, and Fedorov later released a statement thanking Musk.
“It appears that the measures we have taken to prevent Russia from using the Starlink network without authorization have been effective. If more actions are needed, please let us know,” Musk replied on platform X.
Fedorov announced that in the coming days, guidelines for Ukrainian users to register Starlink terminals for verification will be issued. Unverified terminals will be disabled. The registration process is simple, quick, and convenient. Detailed instructions will be released soon.
“Thanks to Starlink/@SpaceX for their cooperation and active support for the people of Ukraine,” he said.
Amid the Starlink dispute, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on Sunday that a new round of peace talks will be held this week. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will attend.
“Ukraine is ready for substantive discussions and hopes to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations can bring us closer to a truly dignified end to the war,” Zelensky wrote.