Smuggling at state level: Musk explains how russia obtained Starlink for war against Ukraine – media reports

The russian military did not purchase Starlink terminals directly from the company but obtained them through smuggling.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated this in an interview with reporters from The Economist.

According to him, some of the devices were initially ordered through Ukraine and then illegally transported to the occupied territories where russian troops were stationed.

“Well, no, we were never at any point selling Starlink to Russians. They received terminals ordered through Ukraine, and then smuggled them to the east of Ukraine. In some cases, they were used to carry out attacks,” Musk said.

To block such devices, SpaceX, in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities, introduced a so-called “whitelist”—a list of verified terminals authorized for use.

At the same time, Musk acknowledged that this decision had negative consequences for some civilian users. According to him, some people who used Starlink for work or study lost access to communication because their devices were not included on the list.

Russian troops began using so-called “gray” Starlink terminals on the front lines as early as 2023. In early 2026, it was reported that russia had also begun installing them on drones to control them in real time and attempt to circumvent Ukrainian air defense systems.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the Security Service’s counterintelligence unit recently exposed two more russian agents in Kyiv who, on behalf of the FSB, were registering Starlink satellite terminals for armed groups of the aggressor country.

To request a correction, please send an email.