American billionaire Elon Musk decided to restrict Russian forces' access to Starlink satellite communications in response to a January drone strike on the center of the Ukrainian capital. According to The Atlantic, this step was the result of direct negotiations between the Ukrainian leadership and the owner of SpaceX after irrefutable evidence was provided that the aggressor was using the system to coordinate long-range attacks. This is reported by UNN.
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The implementation of the plan involved creating special software to form a "whitelist" of authorized terminals, which makes it impossible for unauthorized equipment to work in the hands of Russians.
Sources report that the technical solution was developed and implemented in a short time – approximately within one day. This approach allows maintaining stable communication for the Ukrainian Defense Forces, while completely cutting off Russian units from using the advantages of the satellite network at the front.
The reason for the Ukrainian side's appeal was a Russian drone attack at the end of January 2026, whose trajectory was directed at the President's Office. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, during a conversation with Musk, provided evidence that the occupying forces were using Starlink terminals to control their long-range drones. Based on this data, the parties developed a plan to introduce technical restrictions for enemy devices.