SpaceX Halts Russia’s Use of Starlink, Elon Musk Says

SpaceX took steps to block Russia from using its Starlink satellite internet service, with the measures appearing to be effective, according to the company’s chief executive Elon Musk.

In a statement posted Saturday, January 31, Musk said SpaceX had successfully prevented what he described as the “unauthorized use” of Starlink by Russia, following mounting concerns that the service was being exploited for military purposes.

“The steps we took to prevent Russia from unauthorized use of Starlink appear to have worked,” Musk wrote on X, adding that the company remains open to taking further action if necessary.

The move comes amid accusations from Ukraine that Russian forces had used Starlink terminals to guide long-range drones deployed in attacks on Ukrainian territory. Kyiv has previously stated that it discovered Starlink equipment installed on drones used by Russian forces, raising alarms over the potential militarization of the satellite internet network.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last week that Ukraine has been working closely with SpaceX to prevent Russia from using Starlink to control unmanned aerial vehicles. The cooperation followed Ukrainian findings that Starlink systems were embedded in long-range drones involved in Russian strikes.

Starlink has played a critical role for Ukraine’s military, providing battlefield communications and supporting drone operations amid ongoing disruptions to traditional telecommunications infrastructure. Ukrainian officials said, however, that recent discoveries suggested Russian forces had also managed to access the service, prompting urgent discussions with SpaceX.

SpaceX has consistently maintained that Starlink is not authorized for use by Russia and that the company actively works to prevent access by sanctioned entities or hostile actors.

The issue has reignited debate over Starlink’s growing geopolitical significance, as the satellite network evolves from a commercial internet service into a strategic asset in modern warfare.