# Ukraine Starlink expansion efforts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ukraine-starlink-expansion-efforts
> Updated: 2026-09-26T16:34:08.000Z. Sources: 26. Developments: 2.

Ukrainian officials and international leaders are advocating for the expansion of Starlink satellite internet coverage to assist in military operations. Finnish President Alexander Stubb appealed to SpaceX owner Elon Musk to extend coverage into Russian territory and occupied parts of Ukraine, arguing it would allow Ukrainian forces to target Russian ballistic missile launchers. This capability is viewed as a potential way to mitigate the impact of Russian strikes amid shortages of air defense systems.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President’s Cabinet, emphasized that enhanced Starlink and Starshield capabilities are essential for repelling attacks and targeting missile systems used against civilians. The Kremlin has cautioned that using the service for strikes deep within Russian territory would be a “very disastrous, potentially dangerous and ill-considered step,” according to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. In more recent warnings, the Kremlin described such use as a “very harmful, potentially dangerous and reckless step.”

In response to Western satellite technology, Russia is accelerating the development of its own satellite system, Rassvet, intended to serve as a domestic alternative.

Concurrently, Ukraine is preparing for potential winter disruptions to its communications and internet infrastructure. Following Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers between September 23 and 25—which affected providers such as UTELS, MiroHost, and DATAGROUP—Prime Minister Serhii Koretsky noted that the government is implementing measures to protect data centers and mobile networks to ensure connectivity.

## Claims

- The Kremlin stated that providing Starlink data to support strikes deep inside Russian territory would be a very harmful, potentially dangerous, and reckless step. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Russia is developing the Rassvet satellite system as a domestic alternative to Starlink. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Kyrylo Budanov stated that Ukraine requires expanded Starlink and Starshield capabilities to counter Russian missile systems. (single source)
- Prime Minister Serhii Koretsky announced that Ukraine is taking measures to protect communications infrastructure against Russian attacks. (single source)
- Russian forces attacked Ukrainian data centers between September 23 and 25, affecting providers like UTELS, MiroHost, and DATAGROUP. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-26: Kremlin warns against using Starlink for strikes inside Russia

The Kremlin warned that using Starlink for strikes inside Russia would be a “dangerous step,” while Ukraine seeks expanded satellite capabilities to counter missile attacks and protects its communications.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kremlin-warns-against-using-starlink-for-strikes-on-russian-territory

### 2026-09-24: Finland President urges Elon Musk to expand Starlink for Ukraine

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has urged Elon Musk to expand Starlink coverage into Russia to help Ukraine target ballistic missile launchers and protect its energy infrastructure ahead of winter.

20 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/alexander-stubb-urges-musk-to-expand-starlink-to-target-russian-missile-launchers

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Cite as: Ukraine Starlink expansion efforts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ukraine-starlink-expansion-efforts