Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service was one of the most important technologies for Ukraine during the war, providing an important online link for soldiers fighting Russian forces even in regions that the digital infrastructure has been wiped out.
But the extent of the military’s use of the technology is now in doubt following remarks in recent days by Mr Musk and an executive at SpaceX, Mr Musk’s rocket company, which operates the service. Starlink.
gunner man said last week on Twitter that SpaceX had “disallowed the use of Starlink for long-range drone attacks.” And on Wednesday, Gwynne Shotwell, Starlink’s president and chief executive officer, told a conference in Washington that Starlink “should never be used to weaponize.”
Ms. Shotwell said Ukraine has leveraged the technology “in ways that are not intentional and are not part of any agreement,” according to the report. Reuters. She added that Starlink has taken steps to restrict the Ukrainian military’s use of drone control technology.
Ukrainian officials on Thursday reacted with a mixture of anger and diplomacy, though they did not directly address the claims.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, tagged Ms. Shotwell in a Twitter post, saying that the companies either side with Ukraine and “freedom”, or they side with Russia. and “the right to kill and seize territory.” Starlink, he said, “should choose a particular option.”
Mykhailo Fedorov, Digital Minister of Ukraine who helped facilitate the delivery of the first Starlink terminals to Ukraine after the invasion, took a more conciliatory tone.
“Elon Musk is one of the largest private donors to our future victory,” he said, with SpaceX contributing more than $100 million, according to government estimates.
“We expect Starlinks to operate more stably in Ukraine,” Fedorov added in a statement. He said so far there have been no disruptions to the Starlink system in Ukraine.
Starlink did not respond to a request for comment.
The relationship has been a boon for both parties. Ukraine has received the technology it needs for its defense, while Mr. Musk, one of the world’s richest people and one of its more unpredictable business leaders, has emerged with growing geopolitical influence.
But this is not the first tense moment. In October, Mr Musk, who also oversees Tesla and Twitter, sounded the alarm in Ukraine and its Western allies by saying he could not “unlimited” funding Ukraine’s use of Starlink, although there is no indication that access has been restricted.
