Zelenskyy Awards Elon Musk Ukraine's Order of Freedom
Ukraine's president honored the SpaceX founder for providing Starlink satellite internet, a lifeline for the country's military and civilians since Russia's 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine's highest state honors, citing his "outstanding personal merits" in protecting human life and freedom and strengthening ties between Ukraine and the United States.
Musk, the founder of SpaceX, has become one of the most influential — and contentious — private-sector figures in Ukraine's war effort. His decision to give Ukraine access to Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet network, proved critical and remains a communications lifeline for Ukrainian forces and civilians after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Starlink has become deeply embedded in Ukraine's military operations, with commanders and soldiers relying on satellite connectivity to communicate and coordinate. The technology has also been integrated into Ukraine's drone operations, helping operators maintain links with drones over longer distances. Ukraine's access to Starlink is considered the main reason for the early successes of its long-range drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and disrupted their logistics lines earlier this year.
Musk has allowed Ukrainians to use Starlink inside their own territory, including Russian-occupied regions, but has restricted use of the system inside Russia itself. Zelenskyy wants Musk to reconsider that policy to allow longer-range drone strikes on Russian military and economic infrastructure, but Zelenskyy said last week that Musk views such an expansion as a dangerous escalation.
Musk made no immediate comment on the award, which was announced by presidential decree.
A reported mix-up over whether SpaceX had approved Ukraine's use of Starlink for operations inside Russia contributed to tensions between Zelenskyy and then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was the government's main contact with Musk. Zelenskyy said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry that SpaceX had approved the request contributed to an awkward exchange with President Donald Trump, who accused Zelenskyy of deceiving him. Fedorov was dismissed in July as part of a broader government shake-up.
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