Finland’s Plea to Elon Musk for Starlink Over Russia Amid Ukraine’s New Drone Deal

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told SpaceX founder Elon Musk that Ukraine needs Starlink satellite internet to be turned on over Russian territory so Kyiv can locate and strike Russian ballistic-missile launchers that sit inside Russia. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a “drone deal” signed with Stubb in New York, linking Finnish industrial capacity with Ukrainian technical expertise to protect both nations’ populations.

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Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, SpaceX’s Starlink service has become the backbone of Ukrainian battlefield communications and drone operations, but the system has never been active over Russian soil. Ukraine’s air-defence inventory remains insufficient to intercept the barrage of Russian ballistic missiles that threaten Kyiv and other cities, prompting Kyiv to explore any means of locating launch sites. Finland, a NATO member bordering Russia, has been coordinating with Kyiv on defence cooperation, culminating in the drone agreement announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

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• The war’s daily cost to Ukraine has risen to about $190 million this year.

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• Recent Russian attacks killed eight people in Kyiv and six in a Kharkiv-region farm, with dozens more injured.

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• Zelensky’s UN-era meetings involved more than two dozen U.S. companies, facilitated by Citigroup and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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• “And today we just signed a Drone Deal with Alex (Stubb) – an important step for jointly protecting our people and an even stronger partnership between our countries,” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, before ukrainian president

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• “Explosions in ?Kyiv, The ?capital is under attack ?from ballistic missiles. Remain in shelters!” — Vitali Klitschko, said kyiv mayor

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• “Putin is in a bad place,” — Secretary-general Mark Rutte

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• “Ukrainians understand that this winter could be very harsh for us. But in response, we will have no choice but to make it painful for Russia too,” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, before ukrainian president

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• No public response from Elon Musk or SpaceX has been reported, leaving the feasibility of extending Starlink into Russian airspace uncertain.

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• While Ukrainian officials claim the drone deal will enhance defence, details on the specific technology to be shared or the timeline for deployment have not been disclosed.

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Ukraine continues to lobby for broader Starlink coverage and to operationalise the Finnish-Ukrainian drone collaboration. The outcome will depend on SpaceX’s policy decisions and on the ability of both governments to integrate the promised technology before the approaching winter, which Ukrainian leaders have warned could intensify the conflict.

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