President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Freedom, one of the country’s top state honors, via a presidential decree published Wednesday praising him “for outstanding personal contributions to protecting human life and freedom, and for developing relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States of America.” The honor comes as Kyiv pushes to expand its use of Musk’s Starlink terminals, which have served as the backbone of Ukrainian battlefield communications and drone piloting since Musk activated the service over Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion; earlier this year Musk also agreed, at the request of Ukraine’s since-dismissed defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, to disable thousands of Russian “grey-market” Starlink terminals, disrupting Russian forces. Ukraine is now specifically asking to use Starlink over Russian territory itself, aiming to help strike targets like the ballistic missile launchers hitting Ukrainian cities, a move Zelenskyy said Musk had opposed as a “major escalation” but that Kyiv is now getting “more encouraging feedback” on. Zelenskyy argued that extending Starlink coverage over Russia could undercut capabilities Moscow is relying on to prolong the war
Source: Aaron Parnas, Substack
However:
Rocket booster for Russia’s Starlink equivalent set to splash down in the Barents Sea
A Soyuz-2.1b rocket is expected to launch from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome within the next few days, carrying another batch of Rassvet satellites into orbit.
23 August 2026 – 13:31
Roscosmos, Russia’s state space agency, has issued a warning for a potential rocket-stage splashdown in the Barents Sea sometime before the evening of 27 August. Once a rocket booster has completed its task, it separates from the upper stage and falls back to Earth.
Anyone flying or sailing in the area is being warned to stay away. Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) are available from the Norwegian aviation authorities, while both Norway’s FishInfo and Russia’s Sea Port Administration for the Western Arctic in Murmansk have published corresponding Navigational Warnings (PRIPs).
The launch is due to take place from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s Arkhangelsk region.
Update: The launch took place on August 24 at 5:40 a.m. (Moscow time)
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“A larger and more mature Rassvet constellation, covering larger geographic areas with greater continuity, could improve the Russian Armed Forces’ ability to maintain secure communications during military operations, coordinate geographically dispersed forces and support the operation of unmanned systems, including aerial drones,” he told the Barents Observer.
Rassvet was initially marketed as a satellite-based internet service for civilian use. However, according to The Insider, Vladimir Putin has said that work on a Russian equivalent of Elon Musk’s Starlink is progressing at a good pace. He has also indicated that soldiers on the ground could soon benefit from access to the satellites.
Musk allows Ukrainian forces to use Starlink in Ukrainian-controlled territory, while access to the network is blocked inside Russia.
Ukrainian authorities have reportedly asked Elon Musk to allow Starlink to be used in support of drone strikes against Russian military targets inside Russia. However, both the billionaire and Donald Trump have rejected the option, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
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