Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he had urged SpaceX owner Elon Musk to expand Starlink satellite internet coverage for Ukraine in areas where Russian ballistic missile launchers are deployed. According to Stubb, this could help Ukraine strike such targets and save lives.
Stubb made the remarks in comments to Reuters. The areas in question are in occupied territories of Ukraine or inside Russia.
“I urged Musk to allow Ukrainians to use Starlink in areas where ballistic missile launchers are located — either in occupied Ukrainian territory or in Russia — for strategic purposes, as this would help save lives.”
Alexander Stubb, President of Finland
Musk activated Starlink satellite internet over Ukraine shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, the system has become important for Ukraine’s military communications and is used, among other things, to control drones.
At the same time, Starlink does not operate over Russian territory. Ukrainian officials believe that activating the service for Ukraine’s needs inside Russia would make it possible to strike mobile ballistic missile launchers located several hundred kilometers from the border.
Ukraine’s needs ahead of winter
Speaking about the coming winter, Stubb identified three key needs for Ukraine: air defense, energy infrastructure and financing.
“The first is air defense, and even Starlink could, to some extent, be a good means of protection against air attacks here. The second is energy infrastructure for the winter. The third is money. So this is exactly what we are working on. We are working on preparing a winter aid package because I do not see the war ending, you know, before winter sets in.”
Alexander Stubb, President of Finland
The Finnish president also said that a winter aid package for Ukraine was being prepared, as he does not expect the war to end before winter sets in.
On August 6, 2026, former Defense Minister Fedorov said that Ukraine was working to make Russian military personnel afraid to approach the ballistic missile launchers that Russia constantly uses to attack Ukraine’s rear areas.
The Financial Times wrote that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked US President Donald Trump to speak with Musk about expanding Ukraine’s access to Starlink into Russian territory, but Trump refused. According to the media outlet, Musk told Fedorov that he was ready to allow Starlink to be used beyond the border.
