Ukraine Awards Musk Order of Freedom Amid Push for Starlink Access Over Russia — BigGo Finance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded SpaceX founder Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of the country’s highest state honors, as Kyiv works to persuade the billionaire to expand Starlink satellite coverage into Russian territory for long-range drone operations.

The award, announced Wednesday by presidential decree, recognizes Musk’s “outstanding personal merits” in protecting human life and freedom and strengthening relations between Ukraine and the United States. It arrives at a delicate juncture in a relationship that has become strategically vital to Ukraine’s war effort but also a source of political friction inside the government.

Starlink has been deeply integrated into Ukraine’s military operations since Musk activated the satellite internet service shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Commanders and soldiers rely on the connectivity for battlefield communications and coordination, while drone operators use it to maintain links with unmanned aircraft over extended distances. The technology is widely credited with enabling the early successes of Ukraine’s middle-strike drone campaign, which disrupted Russian logistics lines and put pressure on supply routes in Crimea.

Kyiv is now asking SpaceX to allow Starlink to operate over Russian territory, a move that would enable Ukrainian forces to sustain connectivity during longer-range drone attacks against military and economic infrastructure. Zelensky has said he was told Musk opposed such a step because he viewed it as a “major escalation” of the war. However, the Ukrainian leader indicated last week that Kyiv has since received more encouraging signals and is continuing efforts to secure expanded access.

Zelensky has argued that broader Starlink coverage could weaken capabilities Russia is using to prolong the war, particularly facilities involved in launching ballistic missiles that have struck Ukrainian cities.

While Ukrainian forces have been permitted to use Starlink across Ukraine, including in Russian-occupied regions, SpaceX has restricted the network’s operation inside Russia. Earlier this year, the company agreed to disable thousands of unauthorized or “grey-market” Starlink terminals being used by Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian territory, a move that followed a request from then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and reportedly disrupted Russian military communications.

Fedorov, who served as Kyiv’s main interlocutor with Musk, was dismissed in July as part of a broader government reshuffle. His removal underscored how a dispute involving a private satellite network had become entangled with Ukraine’s military and domestic politics. A reported mix-up over whether SpaceX had authorized Starlink use for operations inside Russia contributed to tensions involving Zelensky’s government.

Zelensky said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry about SpaceX’s position led to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian president of misleading him. The episode contributed to “some of the steps” taken against Fedorov, Zelensky told reporters, without explicitly accusing him of deliberately providing false information.

The award highlights the unusual influence Musk and SpaceX have acquired over Ukraine’s military capabilities. Although Starlink is a commercial satellite communications service, decisions by the company about where the network can operate can directly affect Ukrainian battlefield communications and drone operations. For Kyiv, preserving a positive relationship with Musk has become a strategic imperative. For Musk, permitting the system to operate deeper inside Russia could carry significant military and geopolitical consequences.

Musk made no immediate comment on the award.