Ukraine Accuses Russian Forces of Using Smuggled Starlink Satellite Terminals
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The Ukrainian side has claimed that the Russian forces, currently invading Ukraine, are using Starlink obtained from a third country on the front lines.
According to Reuters on the 12th (local time), Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Information Bureau (HUR) under the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, said that it has been found that the Russian military is illegally using Starlink. Starlink is a satellite internet network of SpaceX, an American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk.
In response to a question about how the Russian military retained Starlink satellite terminals, Yusov said, “It’s contraband from a third country,” and mentioned that measures are underway to prevent the increasing usage of Starlink by the Russian side on the front lines.
Musk provided Starlink terminals to Ukraine in February 2022, when the invasion of Russia destroyed the communication network, and supported using satellite internet. This is known to have played an essential role in the communication network of the Ukrainian military.
SpaceX clarified on the 8th that it has never sold its terminals to Russia or shipped them to Russia. However, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released an audio file containing evidence of the Russian military’s use of Starlink the day before. It explained that the Russian army was illegally acquiring and using it.
In response, the Kremlin claimed that “the Starlink terminal has not received usage certification in Russia and has not been officially supplied, so it cannot be used,” according to Reuters.
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