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Volodymyr Zelenskyy awards Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Freedom for Starlink support

Ukraine honored the SpaceX founder for providing critical satellite communications, even as Kyiv continues urging him to lift restrictions on operations over Russian territory.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 12:30 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree conferring the Order of Freedom upon Elon Musk for his role in maintaining Ukraine's satellite internet access.
  • Musk's Starlink network remains essential to Ukrainian civilian and military communications, though Musk continues to restrict service inside Russian borders.
  • Zelenskyy is seeking U.S. assistance to persuade Musk to allow Starlink usage over Russian territory for long-range drone strikes, an expansion Musk has called a dangerous escalation.
  • Musk did not immediately comment on the honor.

Key facts

  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom via presidential decree on Wednesday.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • SpaceX's Starlink provides vital internet service to Ukrainian military personnel and civilians, including in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • SpaceX acted earlier this year to block Russian military forces from using unauthorized Starlink terminals within occupied Ukrainian territory.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • According to Zelenskyy, Musk considers extending Starlink coverage into Russian territory to be a major and risky escalation.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed in July following internal miscommunications over whether SpaceX had cleared Starlink usage for strikes inside Russia.[ABC News · Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether U.S. officials will intervene or convince SpaceX to permit Starlink coverage over Russian territory remains unknown.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Sources