Kyiv announced on Sunday, February 11, that Russian forces are using Starlink terminals from Elon Musk's SpaceX for satellite internet in the occupied areas of Ukraine, which appears to have an 'organized' application within the Russian army. According to Reuters, these terminals were brought in to assist Ukraine after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, and have been vital for Ukrainian forces' communications in the battle against Russia. Starlink claims it has no business dealings with the Russian government or military. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence, stated, 'Instances of Russian occupiers using these terminals have been recorded, and Russia has now begun to use them in an organized manner.' He mentioned that these terminals are being used by units such as the 83rd Airborne Operations Brigade near the towns of Klishchiyivka and Andriivka in the eastern Donetsk region, part of which is occupied by Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Two Ukrainian government sources told Reuters that Russia's use of Starlink in occupied Ukrainian territories has been confirmed. One of them said Ukraine is trying to obtain data to determine the extent of the use of these terminals. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated that it intercepted a conversation between two Russian soldiers discussing the activation of the terminals. The ministry posted an audio clip of this conversation on the Telegram messenger. Kyiv did not specify how they believe Russia obtained these terminals and whether they were procured from abroad or seized from Ukrainian forces. Starlink emphasized on Thursday, February 9, that its terminals are not active in Russia and that SpaceX has never supplied them to Russia or sent any equipment to locations in Russia. Starlink did not comment on the potential use of its terminals in occupied areas of Ukraine in a statement on X media. The statement read: 'If SpaceX becomes aware of the use of Starlink terminals by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, it will investigate and, if confirmed, take action to deactivate them.'
Ukraine: Russia is using Elon Musk's Starlink in occupied areas
Ukraine has accused Russia of using Starlink terminals from SpaceX in occupied territories, which were initially provided to aid Ukrainian forces. The situation raises concerns about the organized military use of technology originally intended for Ukraine. This development is significant as it highlights the complexities of technology in warfare and international relations.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Ukrainian officials report Russian forces using Starlink terminals for communications in occupied Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Defense Ministry announce Russian forces
- Ukrainian government sources confirm Russia
- Ukrainian Defense Ministry intercept Russian soldiers
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The use of Starlink by Russian forces underscores the complexities of modern warfare and technology's role in it.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%