Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree awarding SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk the Order of Freedom. It is one of Ukraine’s highest state awards and can be bestowed on foreigners.
Decree No. 835/2026 was published on the website of the President of Ukraine.
“For outstanding personal contributions to protecting people’s lives and freedom, and to developing relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States of America, I hereby decree: to award the Order of Freedom to Elon MUSK — entrepreneur, engineer, head of SpaceX and Tesla, United States of America,” Zelenskyy’s decree states.
Starlink satellite communications remain critically important for the Ukrainian military. The system is used for battlefield communications and drone operations. According to Reuters, more than 50,000 Starlink terminals had been deployed in Ukraine as of 2025.
Ukrainian units also use Starlink for medium-range strike drones operating between 25 and 200 km behind the front line. The satellite link makes it possible to maintain communication with such drones and transmit data in real time.
At the same time, the use of Starlink for strikes deep inside Russian territory remains a matter of dispute. The Financial Times reported that Ukraine had asked for permission to use Starlink-equipped drones to target Russian ballistic missile launchers at distances of up to 200 km from the border. According to the newspaper, Elon Musk had previously restricted the use of Starlink in such operations over concerns about escalation.
