Elon Musk’s Starlink internet terminals have allegedly been used by Russian forces in occupied Ukraine. This has led to rumors that Space X sold devices to the Russian government in its war against Kyiv. Elon has taken to his platform X to categorically deny the allegations.
Starlink provides internet through a satellite network, unlike traditional internet which is wired or uses cell towers. This has made internet accessible to Ukraine, whose infrastructure has been repeatedly knocked out by Russian attacks. The Guardian says:
Russian forces in occupied Ukraine are using Starlink terminals produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX for satellite internet in what is beginning to look like a “systemic” problem, Kyiv’s main military intelligence agency has claimed.
Starlink terminals were rushed in to help Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion and have been vital to Kyiv’s battlefield communications. Starlink says it does not do business of any kind with Russia’s government or military.
Alternative explanations as to how the Russian Army secured the technology range from battlefield capture to corruption and espionnage. If properly accounted for, Ukraine could let Starlink know of its missing terminals, who could then shut down their access.
“A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false,” Musk posted on X in response to the reports. “To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1756758674087825879
In a follow-up statement, Musk clarified that Starlink would not connect to devices in Russia.
Internet access can be geographically limited, as is already the case with China and more and more Russia. Elon Musk would be risking big to sell his technology to Russia, especially since his Space X company is a huge contractor for NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office. It would be relatively easy for Russia to secure this piece of equipment in such a dangerous environment, but the incident reminds us that disinformation and tech are central to the Ukraine War.
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