Ukraine Awards Musk High State Honor as It Seeks to Use Starlink More

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has bestowed Ukraine's Order of Freedom upon SpaceX owner Elon Musk, recognizing his significant contributions to protecting human life and fostering relations between Ukraine and the United States. The award, announced via a presidential decree, highlights Musk's pivotal role in providing critical communication infrastructure during Russia's full-scale invasion.

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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.

Starlink, Musk's satellite internet service, was activated over Ukraine shortly after the invasion began in 2022. It has since become indispensable for Ukraine's battlefield communications and has aided in piloting drones. Musk's intervention also included agreeing to disable thousands of Russian "grey-market" Starlinks earlier this year, disrupting Russian military operations.

Kyiv is now seeking to expand Starlink's capabilities by using the service over Russian territory to target launchers for ballistic missiles that are causing destruction in Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy indicated that Musk initially opposed this move, viewing it as a "major escalation" of the conflict. However, Ukraine has reportedly received more positive feedback on the request, suggesting a potential shift in stance.

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major escalation

The ability to use Starlink over Russian territory could significantly degrade Russia's capabilities, potentially shortening the duration of the war. The award to Musk underscores Ukraine's gratitude for his support and its ongoing efforts to leverage advanced technology in its defense.

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started to receive a different, more encouraging feedback.