Zelensky awards Musk Order of Freedom as Ukraine seeks Starlink use

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk one of the country's highest state honors on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, even as Kyiv seeks his approval to expand the use of his Starlink satellite system for strikes deep inside Russia. The decree, published on the presidential website, bestowed the Order of Freedom on Musk 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 recognition highlights the critical, yet complicated, role Musk's SpaceX has played in the war. Starlink terminals, activated by Musk shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, have become essential for Ukrainian battlefield communications and drone operations. Earlier this year, at the request of then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Musk cut off unauthorized Russian access to the network, a move credited with disrupting Moscow's battlefield communications and slowing its advance. However, Ukraine now wants permission to use Starlink-enabled drones over Russian territory to target mobile ballistic missile launchers that strike Ukrainian cities.