January 29, 2026, 8:18 p.mJanuary 29, 2026, 8:18 p.m
After reports of Russian drones with Starlink satellite connections, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has contacted billionaire Elon Musk’s US space company SpaceX. “I am grateful to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and especially Elon Musk for the quick response and beginning work to resolve the problem,” Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Several Russian drones had previously appeared unexpectedly over Ukrainian cities.
According to the reports, the aircraft could be controlled directly via the Internet connection provided by SpaceX. This means they are able to fly particularly low and can approach targets unnoticed by anti-aircraft defenses. On Monday, during daylight hours, such a drone circled over the center of the capital Kiev for several minutes without an air alarm being triggered. The city of three million people is over 180 kilometers from the Russian border and is equipped with modern Western air defense systems and radars.
Fedorov added in his contribution: “Western technologies should continue to help the democratic world defend the civilian population and not be used for terror and the destruction of peaceful cities.” He recalled that Starlink systems had become “extremely important” for Ukraine’s resilience since the beginning of the war. The Eastern European country has been defending itself against a Russian invasion with Western help for almost four years. (hkl/sda/dpa)