Lead

Moscow has ramped up pressure on Elon Musk's SpaceX, accusing the company of turning a blind eye to Ukraine's use of Starlink terminals in drone strikes deep inside Russia. A Russian expert said the company's management "deliberately ignores" the practice, while a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman suggested Musk turn off his satellite network in Ukraine altogether. At the same time, reports cited by Russian state media indicate Musk is actually denying Kyiv full use of Starlink for long-range attacks, seeking to prevent escalation.

Coverage comparison

All the available reporting on this story comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency, which has published several articles on the matter since late July. The agency's coverage blends official Russian positions, expert commentary, and reports from Western outlets such as The Atlantic.

One TASS report, published August 7, cites The Atlantic magazine as saying that Musk is denying Ukraine the use of Starlink for direct strikes deep into Russian territory. The report quotes a source close to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov, who approached Musk on the issue, as saying there is no positive decision yet and that "Elon keeps saying it's time to make a deal." It also claims that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked US President Donald Trump to influence Musk to allow Kyiv to use Starlink satellites to plan strikes. The White House and SpaceX did not respond to TASS's request for comment, according to the agency.

Earlier, on July 24, TASS reported that Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested Musk turn off Starlink in Ukraine, drawing on Musk's own remarks about diplomats who "pontificate about how Russia should withdraw." Zakharova wrote on Telegram: "I'd like to build on that idea and propose that Starlink be withdrawn. So that people would not die."

Then, on July 31, TASS ran an expert opinion piece in which Dmitry Kuzyakin, chief designer at the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, accused SpaceX of deliberately ignoring the use of its terminals on Ukrainian attack drones. The expert said the company tolerates the practice for "political dividends and enormous financial benefits."

These three strands—Musk's reported restrictions, the Russian diplomatic call to cut the network, and the expert accusation of complicity—paint a complex picture that TASS presents without additional independent reporting.

Key Claims

  • Musk denies Starlink for deep strikes: According to TASS, The Atlantic magazine reported, citing unnamed sources, that Musk is denying Ukraine the use of Starlink for direct strikes deep into Russian territory. A source close to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov, who approached Musk on the issue, is quoted as saying: "As of this moment, there is no positive decision. Elon keeps saying it's time to make a deal."
  • Zelensky asked Trump to intervene: TASS reports that The Atlantic also said Zelensky asked US President Donald Trump to influence Musk so that Kyiv could use Starlink satellites to plan strikes. No official confirmation from the White House or SpaceX was provided; TASS said neither responded to its request for comment.
  • Zakharova proposes shutting down Starlink: Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested Musk turn off Starlink in Ukraine, saying "so that people would not die." She was responding to earlier remarks by Musk, who said he was "offended by sort of fancy diplomats who have seven-course dinners in luxurious places while people are dying at the front lines, and who pontificate about how Russia should withdraw."
  • Expert claims SpaceX ignores misuse: Dmitry Kuzyakin, an expert in unmanned aircraft and chief designer at the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, told TASS that SpaceX deliberately ignores Ukraine's use of Starlink terminals for strikes deep in Russia. He said the company's prohibitions are easily circumvented: if a user terminal informs the system it is located, for example, in Germany, but actually operates near Voronezh, the Starlink network can continue servicing.
  • Technical details of the alleged shunts: Kuzyakin claimed that Ukrainian drones with Starlink dishes have coordinate substitution shunts embedded in their control boards. These shunts physically replace the real coordinates with deliberately false ones. He said the network can identify the discrepancy and stop transmitting data, but the company's management deliberately ignores the problem.
  • Captured drones as evidence: The expert added that the Central Design Bureau has accumulated dozens of captured Ukrainian drones with Starlink dishes with such shunts embedded "in a barbaric way." He argued that this policy puts Musk's satellites in the category of legitimate military targets.
All of these claims are attributed to TASS, which in turn attributes some of them to The Atlantic magazine and to named Russian officials and experts. None of the claims have been independently verified by other outlets covered here.

Perspectives

Russian government and expert community

Russian officials and experts, as reported by TASS, assert that SpaceX is deliberately allowing Ukraine to use Starlink for military strikes against Russian territory. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has publicly suggested Musk shut down the network in Ukraine, while expert Dmitry Kuzyakin claims the company tolerates hacked terminals for financial gain, making the satellites a legitimate military target. These statements reflect an official Russian position that holds Musk and SpaceX directly responsible for enabling attacks on Russian soil.

Reported stance of Elon Musk and SpaceX

Based on reports cited by TASS from The Atlantic, Musk is presented as resisting Ukraine's requests for unrestricted Starlink access, reportedly denying the service for direct strikes deep into Russia to prevent escalation. Sources close to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov describe Musk as saying "it's time to make a deal." Neither Musk nor SpaceX has publicly responded to the allegations, and no direct statement from them appears in the available material.