Finland's Stubb asks Musk to extend Starlink coverage for strikes on Russian missile launchers
Finnish President Alexander Stubb publicly appealed to Elon Musk to expand Starlink satellite internet coverage for Ukraine so it can strike Russian ballistic missile launchers. In a Reuters interview during UN General Assembly week, Stubb argued that activating Starlink over Russian territory would help target mobile launchers several hundred kilometres from the border and could partly substitute for an extra defence asset Ukraine is short of ahead of winter. He also said Finland and partners are preparing a winter assistance package for Kyiv.
Key points
- Finnish President Alexander Stubb asked Elon Musk to expand Starlink coverage for Ukraine so it can strike Russian ballistic missile launchers, in a Reuters interview during UN General Assembly week.
- Stubb said Starlink should be usable in areas where ballistic missile launchers sit — on occupied Ukrainian territory and in Russia — arguing this would save lives.
- Starlink does not currently work over Russian territory; Ukrainian officials believe extending coverage would let them hit mobile launchers several hundred kilometres from the border.
- Stubb said Starlink could to some extent serve as a good air defence asset, as Ukraine faces an acute shortage of air defence means ahead of winter.
- Stubb listed three things Ukraine needs for winter: air defence assets, energy facilities, and money.
- Stubb said Finland and partners are preparing a winter assistance package and that he does not see the war ending before winter.
- Stubb said the simplest solution would be an unconditional ceasefire, echoing President Trump's UN General Assembly speech, followed by talks on security, territory, reconstruction and compensation.
Why it matters
Starlink has become vital for Ukrainian military communications, including drone control, so decisions about where it operates directly shape what Ukraine can hit from the front line. Ukrainian officials believe activating coverage over Russian territory would let them target mobile ballistic missile launchers several hundred kilometres from the border. By framing Starlink as a partial substitute for missing air defence assets at the start of winter, Stubb is publicly testing the limits of a private actor's influence on the battlefield and signaling allied willingness to lobby Musk directly.
What happened
Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Reuters during UN General Assembly week that he had asked Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, to expand Starlink satellite internet coverage for Ukraine so it could strike Russian ballistic missile launchers. Stubb said Starlink should be usable in areas where ballistic missile launchers are located — on occupied Ukrainian territory and in Russia — arguing this would save lives. He noted that Starlink does not currently work over Russian territory but said Ukrainian officials believe extending coverage would help target the launchers firing missiles at Ukraine. Stubb said Starlink could to some extent serve as an effective air defence element, and listed three things Ukraine needs ahead of winter: air defence assets, energy facilities for winter, and money. He said Finland and its partners are preparing a winter assistance package and that he does not see the war ending before winter. He also praised the resumption of Russia–Ukraine peace talks under US auspices, citing visits by American envoys to Moscow and Kyiv, and said the simplest solution would be an unconditional ceasefire, echoing US President Donald Trump's UN General Assembly speech, to be followed by negotiations on security, territory, reconstruction and compensation.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All six supplied sources are Ukrainian and frame Stubb's appeal primarily as a way to enable Ukrainian strikes on Russian ballistic missile launchers and to support air defence. Several headlines foreground the stated military purpose — striking Russian launchers — rather than the diplomatic or ceasefire elements of Stubb's Reuters interview. Coverage also highlights the practical limitation that Starlink does not currently work over Russian territory and presents the appeal as a route around that constraint.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on whether Musk is blocking or open to Ukrainian use of Starlink on Russian territory: The Atlantic reported on 7 August that Musk was refusing, while FT reported in late August that Musk is not opposed but considers the decision a political one for the US administration. Sources also vary in how they characterise the front of Ukrainian requests to Musk — some emphasise Stubb's intervention as new, others note that President Zelensky had previously asked President Trump to raise the same issue with Musk at their 28 July White House meeting.
Background
Musk activated Starlink over Ukraine shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, and it has since become vital for Ukrainian military communications, including drone control. In winter 2024-2025, Musk responded to a request from then-Defence Minister Fedorov about Starlink use on Russian strike drones; on 5 February, Russian Starlink terminals reportedly stopped working en masse. On 28 July at the White House, President Volodymyr Zelensky asked US President Donald Trump to request that Musk allow Ukraine to use Starlink on Russian territory to strike ballistic missile launchers. The Atlantic reported on 7 August that Musk was refusing to provide that capability. FT reported in late August that Musk is not opposed in principle to allowing Kyiv to use Starlink for strikes on military targets in Russia but believes the final decision must be made by the administration in Washington as a political decision. In March 2025, Musk said he would never turn off the Starlink network for the Ukrainian military, even though he disagrees with Ukraine's policy, after his earlier claim that the Ukrainian front line would collapse if he did.