Trump balks at Ukrainian proposal to use Starlink-equipped drones for strikes inside Russia

Ukraine has sought authorization to deploy Starlink-enabled long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russian territory, but US President Donald Trump has withheld support for the plan, the Financial Times reported.

The operation requires technical clearance from SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Kyiv's diplomatic outreach on the matter has been further complicated by the July resignation of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who previously maintained direct communications with Musk.

According to sources cited by the paper, during a meeting in July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to persuade Trump by offering to cap the strike depth at 200 kilometers while requesting additional interceptor missiles. However, Trump declined to endorse the initiative, amid growing US missile stockpiles constraints tied to extensive military deployments across the Middle East.