Ukraine awards Musk high state honour as it seeks to use Starlink more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has awarded SpaceX founder Elon Musk one of the nation's highest state honors, the Order of Freedom. The official decree praised Musk for his outstanding contributions to protecting human life and freedom, as well as strengthening bilateral relations between Ukraine and the United States. Starlink satellite connectivity has served as the backbone of Ukraine's battlefield communications and drone coordination since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The award comes as Kyiv actively seeks SpaceX's authorization to expand Starlink usage over Russian territory. Ukrainian military forces intend to utilize the satellite network to target long-range launchers and military infrastructure responsible for ballistic missile strikes against Ukrainian cities. Zelenskiy indicated that while Musk had previously opposed cross-border deployment as an escalation risk, Ukraine has recently received more encouraging feedback regarding operational expansion. SpaceX previously moved to disable thousands of grey-market Starlink terminals illicitly acquired and utilized by Russian troops. Continued integration and reliance on Starlink highlight SpaceX's vital role in international defense infrastructure and geopolitics.