Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded tech billionaire Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of the country’s most prestigious state honours, months after the SpaceX founder worked with Kyiv to block Russia’s illegal use of Starlink. The decree, published on Ukraine’s presidential website, cited Musk’s “outstanding personal merits in protecting human life and freedom” and his contribution to relations between Ukraine and the United States.
The award marks a striking turn in a famously complicated relationship. Kyiv is critically dependent on Musk’s satellite technology, even as the two sides have clashed repeatedly over the war and Musk has grown sharply critical of Zelenskyy. Starlink has been vital to Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, providing communications for civilians, government and the military after conventional networks were damaged. Musk activated the service in February 2022 following an appeal from Ukraine’s then-digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.
Tens of thousands of terminals have since become central to Ukrainian battlefield communications and to the operation of drones. But Russian forces found ways to obtain terminals illegally, despite SpaceX saying it does not sell the service in Russia. By early 2026, Kyiv said Russian troops were mounting the terminals on attack drones, and after a direct appeal, Ukrainian and SpaceX engineers worked on measures to prevent the unauthorised access.
The relationship has not been smooth. Musk has argued that Starlink was meant to provide communications rather than facilitate long-range attacks, warning that its use in strikes on Russian targets could escalate the war. According to a 2025 media investigation, he ordered coverage shut down in parts of occupied Ukraine during Kyiv’s 2022 counteroffensive, and he rejected a request to activate the service around Sevastopol, saying he feared becoming “explicitly complicit in a major act of war.” He has also questioned Western support for Ukraine, urged a negotiated peace and backed calls for elections despite martial law.
Even so, Kyiv continues to work closely with SpaceX, whose technology remains irreplaceable in Ukraine’s military communications. Ukraine is now seeking Musk’s approval to extend the use of Starlink-equipped drones for strikes deep inside Russia, believing the technology could help its forces hit mobile Russian and North Korean ballistic-missile launchers. So far, the company’s founder has refused.
