U.S. Should Quickly Heed Ukraine’s Request on Starlink

As it braces for what may be its most difficult winter of the war, Ukraine is reportedly seeking permission to use the Starlink satellite communications system to target ballistic missile launchers on Russian territory. This is one of the best options the United States has to help Ukraine protect its cities amid a shortage of Patriot air defense munitions. Doing so could, in turn, help convince the Kremlin that the war has become futile. Ukraine Wants To Use Starlink To Hunt Russian Missile Launchers During a July 28 meeting at the White House, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked President Donald Trump to help Kyiv secure permission from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use Starlink inside Russia, according to The Atlantic and the Associated Press. Reportedly, Trump’s response was noncommittal. An unnamed source also told The Atlantic that Musk declined to meet with Zelenskyy, who just last month fired the defense minister who had served as Kyiv’s point man for dealings with the billionaire. Starlink has served as the backbone of Ukrainian military communications since 2022. In recent months, Ukraine has found growing success in employing so-called “middle strike” drones, often controlled via Starlink, to hunt for targets such as supply trucks in the occupied territories. However, SpaceX restricts the system’s use inside Russia’s internationally recognized borders. This limitation makes it difficult for Ukraine to find and strike mobile ballistic-missile launchers, which are typically located inside Russia and can quickly displace after firing. If this issue were resolved, Ukraine could use Starlink-equipped loitering munitions to “free hunt” for these launchers. It could also use Starlink-controlled reconnaissance drones to locate and track launchers and then strike them using other drones or missiles. Russia Exploiting Patriot Missile Shortage Kyiv expects that in the coming months, Russia will reprise its campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Yet the country is desperately short on PAC-3 interceptors for its U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, on which Ukraine depends to counter ballistic missiles. The United States, with its stocks depleted by the Iran war, has few left to spare. European allies are in a similar predicament. U.S. production of the PAC-3 missile is growing but cannot yet keep pace with the threat, and alternative solutions will take time to bear fruit. Russia seeks to exploit this vulnerability. Moscow has invested in increasing production of 9M723 Iskander, RM-48U, and Tsirkon missiles. Russia also may have recently received more KN-23s from North Korea, having previously helped Pyongyang improve that missile’s accuracy. Recent weeks have witnessed some of Russia’s largest ballistic-missile barrages of the war — with deadly consequences. While Ukraine routinely defeats the vast majority of Russian subsonic cruise missiles and long-range drones, most ballistic missiles are currently getting through. Making the War Futile for Russia The Trump administration says it intends to try to restart peace talks with Russia and Ukraine in the coming weeks. At least for now, though, the Kremlin continues to display the same obstinance that sank prior negotiations. Kyiv hopes that if it can make the war futile and increasingly costly for Moscow, Vladimir Putin may eventually agree to end the conflict on reasonable terms. The Ukrainians have some reason for optimism. This year, they have largely stymied Russian advances while inflicting casualties at a pace that meets or even exceeds Moscow’s rate of recruitment. Ukrainian mid-range strikes have begun to pressure Russian logistics, while long-range barrages pound oil refineries and other deep targets. Although Putin still insists that Russia will eventually grind down Ukrainian forces, that prospect looks increasingly remote. The Ukrainian leadership therefore sees ballistic missiles as one of the few advantages that Moscow has left. “Protection against this is the key to depriving Russia of the ability to drag out the war,” Zelenskyy stated last month.If Washington is serious about brokering a settlement, it would be wise to remove that card from Putin’s hand.John Hardie is deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from John and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow John on X @JohnH105. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.