Budanov says Ukraine urgently needs expanded Starlink and Starshield access to strike Russian missile systems
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said Ukraine urgently needs expanded access to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications to counter and strike Russian missile systems that launch rockets at Ukrainian civilians. He made the remarks in an interview with Newsforce; a fragment was published on his Telegram channel on 27 September. Budanov also said Ukraine critically needs interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
Key points
- Budanov said Ukraine urgently needs expanded Starlink and Starshield satellite communications access.
- He stated Ukraine's current access to Starlink and Starshield capabilities is insufficient.
- Budanov linked the need to countering and striking Russian missile systems that launch rockets at Ukrainian civilians.
- Budanov separately said Ukraine critically needs interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
- He made the statements in an interview with Newsforce.
- A fragment of the interview was published on his Telegram channel on 27 September 2026.
Why it matters
A senior Ukrainian official publicly named the capability gap, tying satellite connectivity to the ability to strike Russian launch sites and framing the request in humanitarian terms — protecting civilians from Russian rocket attacks. The statement comes amid an unresolved negotiation between Ukraine and Elon Musk over using Starlink-equipped drones for strikes inside Russia.
What happened
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with Newsforce that Ukraine urgently needs expanded access to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications. He described Ukraine's current access as insufficient and tied the need to countering and striking Russian missile systems that launch rockets at Ukrainian civilians. In the same interview, Budanov said Ukraine critically needs interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. A fragment of the interview was published on his Telegram channel on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All three Ukrainian-language sources covering the statement center Budanov's call for expanded Starlink and Starshield access. The coverage frames the request as urgent and tied to protecting civilians from Russian rocket attacks, and situates it within the unresolved Musk–Fedorov negotiations and prior Zelensky–Trump discussions. One outlet additionally highlights Budanov's separate call for Patriot interceptor missiles, broadening the story into a wider air-defense needs narrative.
Background
Starshield is described as a militarized version of the Starlink satellite network. On 8 August, The Atlantic reported, citing sources close to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, that Elon Musk had not yet agreed to give Ukraine access to Starlink technology for targeting positions from which Russia launches missiles. In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the matter with Musk; Trump did not express clear support during that meeting. On 21 August, the Financial Times reported Ukraine was seeking Musk's permission to use Starlink-equipped strike drones against Russian missile installations up to 200 km inside Russia, with Kyiv proposing a 200-km range limit from the Russian border. On 31 August, the Kyiv Independent reported Musk remained opposed to using Starlink for strikes on Russia and described negotiations between Musk and Fedorov as 'extremely unsuccessful.' On 23 September, it was reported that during the 22 September Trump–Zelensky meeting in New York, Ukraine raised the Starlink-strikes issue and Trump replied: 'You need to talk about this with Elon (Musk).'