Musk steps in - SpaceX blocks Starlink use on Russian drones
Photo: Elon Musk (GettyImages)
American businessman Elon Musk announced that he has taken measures to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink satellite internet by Russian forces.
He made such a statement in comments under a post by Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, on X.
"Let us know if more needs to be done," Musk wrote.
Fedorov responded that the initial actions are already showing noticeable results. He added that Ukraine continues to work closely with the SpaceX team.
"We are working very closely with your team on the next important steps. Thank you for standing with us," the defense minister wrote.
Background
On January 23, media reports indicated that Russian forces have increasingly been using Starlink on strike drones, attempting to bypass Ukraine’s air defense systems.
In particular, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Russians are installing Starlink on their Molniya-2 strike drones.
On the same day, Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine promptly contacted SpaceX to address the issue.
Later, the minister’s technology advisor, Serhiy Beskrestnov, said that at Ukraine's request, SpaceX had begun implementing initial countermeasures to prevent Russians from using Starlink terminals to carry out drone attacks on Ukraine.
At the same time, in recent months, there have been interruptions in Starlink service at the front. In September, for example, connectivity issues were reported along almost the entire front line.
