Headline Roundup • February 12th, 2024
Ukraine Says Russian Forces Used SpaceX's Starlink; Musk Denies
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency said it had proof Russian troops were using Starlink, SpaceX's broadband internet service, for communication in occupied territories around the Donbas region.
The Details: Despite evidence presented by the Ukrainian authorities, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk denied any direct or indirect sales of Starlink to Russia. SpaceX also denied the possibility of the company's devices working within Russian borders.
For Context: Starlink has been instrumental in providing internet access in Ukraine since the start of the war, making it a vital tool for Ukraine’s struggling military. Musk received criticism in 2023 when it was reported that he had refused to allow Ukraine to use Starlink to attack a Russian fleet off the coast of Crimea; Musk said the move would have implicated his company in a major military escalation with Russia.
How the Media Covered It: News coverage appeared fairly consistent across the political media spectrum, highlighting both Ukraine’s accusations and denials from SpaceX and Musk.
This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian forces increasingly use Starlink terminals on the frontline, a new twist in Kyiv’s uneasy relationship with Elon Musk’s internet service.
Intercepted conversations between Russian troops in the occupied Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine indicate they had Starlink devices installed for internet access, the Ukrainian defense ministry intelligence directorate said Sunday on its website.
Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Images/Sipa USA / Reuters Photos
Russian occupiers in Ukraine have commandeered some Starlink terminals and are using them for communications, Ukrainian officials say.
Starlink, a company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, sent terminals to Ukraine soon after Russia's invasion in February 2022, and they have been key to ensuring the stability of Ukrainian communications. Nevertheless, some terminals have been taken by Russian forces.
"Cases of the Russian occupiers' use of the given devices have been registered. It is beginning to take on a systemic nature," Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry's Main Directorate of...
GETTY IMAGES
The Ukrainian military claimed Sunday it had proof the Russian military was using Starlink to access the internet for communication in occupied territories in the Donbas region—a claim that has been repeatedly denied by Starlink owner SpaceX, and founder and CEO Elon Musk weighed in saying Starlink terminals aren’t sold to Russia.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency, the country had proof Russia’s 83rd Assault Brigade was using the service in Klishchiivka and Andriivka, two towns in the Donetsk region that have seen fierce fighting in recent months.
As proof of the...
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