Starlink’s dominance of the market for low-Earth orbit satellite broadband, and the technology’s usefulness for military operations, has given Musk a unique ability to influence the war in Ukraine. Musk first sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine in February 2022 after the Russian invasion disrupted broadband access.

SpaceX confirmed in 2023 that it had blocked Ukraine from using Starlink with military drones, saying its contract with Ukraine did not allow offensive uses. But in August 2024, SpaceX received a Pentagon contract to expand Ukraine’s access to the military-focused Starshield, Bloomberg reported later that year .

The August 2024 deal was apparently the second such contract, and it reportedly allowed Ukraine to connect another 2,500 Starlink terminals to the Starshield network.…