ConflictUkraine Honors Elon Musk as Kyiv Seeks Expanded Starlink Access for Strikes Inside RussiaAired August 29, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Ukraine awards Elon Musk its Order of Freedom while pressing for Starlink over0:04Russia.0:04The award lands inside a live military negotiation.0:07Kiev wants Starlink coverage inside Russia to target missile launchers, and Musk has0:12refused.0:12The question now is will the honor change his mind, or will the strikes go on0:16without Starlink?0:17The citation is explicit, protecting human life, freedom, and ties between the two0:21countries.0:22But the decree says nothing about Starlink, the very thing Ukraine now wants from0:26Musk.0:26Starlink is used across Ukrainian territory, including occupied Crimea, but it does0:31not operate over internationally recognized Russian territory.0:34Kiev has asked for coverage up to about 200 kilometers inside Russia, aimed at0:38mobile ballistic missile launchers.0:40Zelensky says Musk told him this would be an escalation.0:44He also says all of this is in the hands of the US president.0:47Musk himself has not commented on the award.0:49In February, Ukraine moved to block unregistered Starlink terminals hitting Russian0:54forces using the service illegally.0:56Then in August, Ukrainian drones struck deep inside Russian territory, including a1:00radar and logistics sites in Rostov Oblast.1:03Kentik measured a 75% drop in Starlink traffic associated with Ukraine right after1:08the restriction, later settling at about a quarter to a third of its previous level.1:13The number is a measured change, not a census of how many terminals were Russian.1:18A U.S.1:18intelligence assessment linked the Starlink cutoff to Ukraine's recapture of about1:22400 square kilometers, its first such gain since 2023.1:27President Zelensky disputes the direct causal link, saying the operation began a1:31month earlier.1:32What's confirmed?1:33The decree and its wording.1:34What's reported?1:36Musk's objection, which comes from Zelensky and intermediaries.1:39What's disputed?1:40The extent to which the Starlink cutoff caused the territorial gains.1:44And what's unknown, exactly how Ukrainian drones are navigating into Russia without1:47Starlink.1:48Without Starlink over Russia, Ukrainian deep strikes may rely on mesh relay drones,1:53inertial navigation with terminal video only near the target.1:56or fiber and relays over occupied territory.1:59Ukraine has not confirmed the exact method.2:01Zelensky says Ukraine can produce 200 to 300 long-range strike drones a day, with2:06ranges from about 350 kilometers to as much as 3,000 constrained by financing, not2:12factories.2:12Ukraine's drone production is growing, but officials claim the strikes have knocked2:16out up to 40% of Russian refining capacity at times, a figure that rebounds as2:21repairs are made.2:22Patriot interceptor deliveries have also fallen, which is why Kyiv wants Starlink2:26guided hunter-killer drones.2:27The decree is a public overture, but it has not changed Musk's position.2:32Coverage over Russia remains off, and he has not acknowledged the honor.2:35The question, will the honor shift his calculus, or will the campaign keep flying2:39without Starlink remains open.2:41What is known, the strikes continue, and the 200 kilometer request is still on the2:46table.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗