It is noted that Kyiv considers this one of the ways to compensate for the large shortage of missile interceptors for the Patriot systems.
Read more New phone in hand, old one – in the drawer
Kyiv hopes that the use of Starlink satellite communication will allow drones to maintain a more stable connection with operators over long distances and be less vulnerable to conventional electronic warfare measures, explained the Financial Times.
The article adds that such drones are planned to be used to destroy missile launchers, command posts, logistics facilities, and other infrastructure related to missile attacks.
Military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady noted that such drones have already proven their effectiveness on the battlefield in Ukraine. According to him, if they were used outside Ukraine’s territory, they “could be very useful in hunting” Russian missile launchers.
According to sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, asked him to discuss with E. Musk the possibility of granting Ukraine such permission.
Read more Omniva will install mailboxes in parcel machines in Estonia
Kyiv proposed limiting the drone usage range to 200 km from the Russian border, but according to people present at the meeting, D. Trump did not express clear approval of this idea.
At the beginning of the month, The Atlantic magazine, citing sources close to former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, reported that billionaire E. Musk has so far refused to grant Ukraine the ability to use Starlink technology for strikes against positions from which Russia launches missiles at Kyiv and other cities.
M. Fedorov stated that negotiations with E. Musk continue regarding the possibility of using the Starlink system for military purposes to destroy targets on Russian territory.
Earlier this year, radio technology specialist Sergey Beskrestnov reported the possible use of Russian military Starlink terminals in Shahed attack drones. After the Ukrainian side’s appeal, E. Musk responded to this issue and later stated that measures have been taken.
