Elon Musk is allegedly ready to allow Ukraine to use Starlink-equipped drones to strike Russian targets outside Ukraine. At the same time, the final decision must be made by the White House. This is reported by the Financial Times, according to UNN.
Details
According to the FT, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approached Elon Musk with a request to allow drones equipped with Starlink to be used against Russian ballistic missile launchers located up to 200 km from the Ukrainian border.
"People familiar with the matter said that Musk had previously told (former Defense Minister Mykhailo — ed.) Fedorov that he was ready to allow Ukraine to use Starlink-equipped drones beyond its borders to strike Russian targets. However, according to sources, Musk told Ukraine that this was a political decision and had to be made by the White House," the publication writes.
For Ukraine, such an opportunity could become a fundamentally new tool in the fight against ballistic missiles. In that case, Ukraine would not wait for a Russian missile to be launched in order to intercept it in the air, but would locate and strike the launchers themselves on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Denys Shtilerman, co-founder and chief designer of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, previously explained that integrating Starlink into long-range strike systems would make it possible to operate much more effectively specifically against mobile targets in the Russian rear.
"Instead of shooting down arrows, we will strike the archers," Shtilerman explained the logic behind this approach.
Recall
Ukraine is seeking permission to use Musk's Starlink to strike Russian missile launchers. Trump did not appear to support the plan.