Musk says Russia got Starlink via smuggling, not sales

Elon Musk has detailed how Russian military forces acquired Starlink satellite internet terminals, saying they were smuggled from Ukraine rather than sold directly by his company. In the same interview, the SpaceX CEO called for a "pragmatic" peace deal, describing a complete Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine as "unrealistic."

Starlink Smuggling Mechanism

In an interview with The Economist published this week, Musk said his company never sold terminals to Russian forces and explained the route through which Moscow's military obtained the technology.

"We were never at any point selling Starlink to Russians. What they essentially got Starlink units that they ordered through Ukraine, and then smuggled them into eastern Ukraine where the Russians are," Musk said. "In some cases, they were used to carry out attacks," he added.caliber+1

To address the problem, Musk said SpaceX worked with the Ukrainian government earlier this year to create a "whitelist" — a registry of approved Starlink terminals. The system, implemented in early February, disabled all terminals in Ukraine not on the approved list, cutting off Russian access to the service.newsukraine.rbc+2

Ukraine's defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov had requested SpaceX's help in late January after reports emerged that Russian forces were using thousands of Starlink terminals to guide drones and coordinate operations along the front lines. Musk responded on his social media platform X in early February, saying the measures "have worked".voanews+3

Peace Deal Comments

In the same Economist interview, Musk reiterated his longstanding position that ending the war requires territorial concessions to Russia. He described expectations of a full Russian withdrawal as an "illusion."

"It is an illusion that Russia must completely withdraw its troops, etc., but that is unrealistic. I have long advocated for peace. A few years ago I wrote that certain concessions to Russia are necessary. This is not a pro-Russian position. I am simply a pragmatist," Musk said.unn+1

He noted that the front line in Ukraine has remained largely unchanged for two to three years while casualties mount, and argued that the conflict should not be allowed to continue indefinitely. Musk expressed hope that a peace agreement could be reached soon to stop further bloodshed.korabelov+1

Context and Reaction

Musk's comments come amid stalled peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Talks in Geneva ended abruptly in February, and no formal agreement has materialized despite months of diplomatic effort involving U.S. envoys.time+1

The billionaire's views on Ukraine peace have drawn sharp criticism since 2022, when he first proposed allowing Russia to keep Crimea and holding new referendums in occupied territories — a plan that prompted Ukraine's ambassador to tell him to "f— off". His latest remarks maintain a similar position, with The Economist noting that "Mr Musk remains adamant that any peace deal should offer territorial concessions to the aggressor".thehill+1