Starlink access in Russian territory should be expanded for Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said, arguing that the satellite network could help Ukrainian forces target Russian ballistic missile launchers before they are used against Ukraine.
Stubb made the appeal to SpaceX owner Elon Musk in an interview with Reuters in New York on Thursday, where the Finnish president is attending the United Nations General Assembly. He said Ukraine’s limited air defence capabilities make it important to be able to strike missile launch sites rather than relying solely on systems designed to intercept incoming missiles.
“That’s why I plead that Elon Musk would give the Ukrainians the possibility to use Starlink in areas where there are ballistic missile launchers,” Stubb said, referring both to Russian territory and Ukrainian areas occupied by Russia. He said such access would be intended for strategic purposes and could help save lives.
The request concerns a specific limitation on Starlink’s availability. The satellite internet system, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has played an important role in maintaining communications for Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion. However, Starlink connections are not available to Ukraine in Russian territory, according to Yle and Reuters.
For Ukraine, the issue is closely connected to the difficulty of defending against Russian ballistic missiles. Yle reported that Ukraine is short of Patriot air defence missiles, which are among the systems capable of intercepting such weapons. Ukrainian officials have therefore argued that access to Starlink in areas where Russian missile launchers are located could support efforts to strike those launchers.
Starlink works through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that provides broadband internet connectivity. Its role in the war has made decisions over where the service can operate a matter of military and political significance, rather than simply a question of telecommunications coverage.
Stubb’s comments also place Finland publicly behind a request that would extend Ukraine’s ability to conduct operations against military targets located inside Russia. His remarks came during a week of intensive diplomatic activity at the UN in New York, where he has been meeting with other leaders and discussing support for Ukraine.
The Finnish president is not the first senior figure to raise the issue. Yle reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had also appealed in July to US President Donald Trump over broader Starlink access. Any expansion of the service in Russian territory would ultimately depend on the decisions of SpaceX and Musk.
For Stubb, the argument is framed around Ukraine’s ability to reduce the threat posed by Russian missile attacks. Rather than relying only on air defence to intercept missiles after launch, he is calling for Ukraine to have greater access to the communications technology it says could help locate and target launchers at their source.
The appeal also illustrates the unusual position SpaceX occupies in the war. A private company’s control over a satellite communications network has become closely tied to military operations, while decisions about where that network is available can have direct consequences on the battlefield.
Stubb’s comments were made as Finland continues to strengthen its defence and security cooperation with Ukraine. He and a Finnish delegation are in New York for the UN General Assembly, where the war and European security remain prominent issues in discussions among international leaders.
