Elon Musk appears to have limited Russia's access to Starlink over the past weeks, a development that has allowed Ukraine to make gains at the battlefront, according to a new report.
The Atlantic reported that the decision began taking shape last month after a drone incursion in central Kyiv. Back then, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov showed Musk evidence that Moscow was using Starlink to operate long-range drones, including one that breached the country's most sensitive airspace.
"Western technologies must continue to support the democratic world and protect civilians—not be used for terror and the destruction of peaceful cities," Fedorov said in a social media publication back then.
Following the incident, Ukrainian officials reportedly presented Musk a plan to prevent both sides from using Starlink for attack drones. The outlet detailed that SpaceX then created a whitelist of Ukrainian users and shut off access for Russians.
A person familiar with the issue told The Atlantic that SpaceX officials said the instruction was to "take off the gloves" and "use Starlink for anything to help Ukraine." The person claimed that it was a "political decision from Elon for sure."
Consequences began showing in February, with Russian forces beginning to experience problems with battlefield communications. In this context, Moscow has struggled to hold on to its lines, with Ukrainians making advances.
"Without a doubt, our forces are exploiting the problems that the Russians are having with Starlink," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with AFP.
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