Ukraine says Musk refused the help, citing the need for peace. (Photo: AP)
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has refused to allow Ukraine forces to use his Starlink satellite internet service for drone strikes deep inside Russia's territory, according to Ukrainian officials.
Access to the satellite network would be a significant help to Ukraine, currently experiencing heavy Russian bombardment and a shortage of American Patriot interceptor systems.
During a meeting at the White House on July 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked US President Donald Trump to arrange talks with Elon Musk to discuss allowing the Ukrainian military to use Starlink, but Musk refused.
The former trillionaire continues to insist on the need for a peace agreement and cites the risk of escalation as a reason for rejecting Zelenskyy's request, according to sources quoted by United24.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Federov, who reached an agreement with Musk to block Russian troops from accessing the Starlink network earlier this year, is reportedly still trying to contact Musk through unofficial channels.
Starlink has proven vital to Ukraine on the battlefield over the years, with Kyiv leaning on it heavily for access to the internet, communications and controlling its fleet of drones.
Drone warfare has become crucial in this conflict. (Photo: VCG)
However, Ukrainian forces are currently only able to use Starlink to attack Russian targets within the territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and other Russian-controlled regions.
Experts say allowing Ukraine to use Starlink within Russian territory could expand the strike zone to 500 kilometers beyond the frontline, and missiles could potentially reach as far as Siberia.
This is not the first time Musk has rejected such a request. In 2022, he refused to allow Ukraine to use Starlink to attack Russian ships near Crimea. In that case, he cited worries over the possible use of nuclear weapons as the reason for his refusal.
Earlier this year, Russian TV pundit Vladimir Solovyov questioned why Starlink satellites were not seen as a legitimate target for Russia, saying "One nuclear detonation in space, as I understand it, solves the problem".
Russia is also suspected of developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Starlink's satellite constellations. Starlink's satellites use an orbit closer to Earth than most other satellites, so could be taken out by a cloud of shrapnel fires into the same orbit.
Musk has previously stated that Russia would not withdraw its troops from Ukraine and argued that the war could be ended if Ukraine and its allies made concessions to Moscow.