AP WIRE: President Zelenskyy calls SpaceX boss who says country has “weaponized” satellite internet: Support either Ukraine’s “right to liberty” or Russia’s “kill and confiscate” moves.
Ukrainians reacted with confusion and some anger on Thursday to comments from a senior Starlink official that their country had “weaponed” the satellite internet service that was vital to their national survival.
President Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX, which operates Starlink, is said to have said on Wednesday that the Elon Musk-controlled company has taken unspecified measures to prevent the Ukrainian military from using Starlink technology against Russian invaders.
The network of low-orbit satellites has been critical to Ukraine’s deployment of battlefield drones – a central part of the year-long war – and the country’s defenders have no viable alternative. The satellite links help Ukrainian fighters locate the enemy and target long-range artillery strikes.
Speaking on stage at a conference in Washington, DC, Shotwell said, “We were delighted to offer Ukraine connectivity and to support them in their fight for freedom. It was never intended to be armed. However, Ukrainians used it in a way that was unintentional and not part of any deal.”
Speaking separately to reporters from the Wall Street Journal and other news organizations, Shotwell said SpaceX has been working to restrict Ukraine’s use of Starlink for military purposes.
“There are things we can do to limit their ability to do this,” they quoted her as saying without giving details. “There are things we can do and have done.”
That drew the ire of a top adviser on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. in a tweet, Mykhailo Podolyak said SpaceX must decide whether it is on the side of Ukraine’s right to freedom or Russia’s “right” to kill and occupy territories.
It wasn’t clear if Shotwell’s comments Wednesday came at the urging of Musk, SpaceX’s founder, CEO and chief engineer. An email to SpaceX asking for comment was not immediately answered.
There was no evidence of a break in Starlink service in Ukraine.
In a statement, the country’s digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, reported “no problems with the operation of Starlink uplink terminals in Ukraine.” A ministry official familiar with the situation said Thursday checks in towns near the frontlines of the war found no evidence of problems with Starlink coverage. The officer spoke on condition that they not be further identified.
The constellation of 2,200 satellites has been a lifeline for the country since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, especially important as Ukraine struggles to maintain power supplies and telecommunications amid devastating Russian missile and drone strikes on civilian targets.
In the statement, Fedorov announced the arrival of the first of a new batch of 10,000 terminals to be provided by the German government, adding: “Starlinks helps save thousands of lives every day. The energy infrastructure continues to function thanks to Starlinks. Thanks to the connection that Starlinks provides, doctors are performing complex surgeries.”
Thursday’s statement called Musk “one of the largest private donors to our future victory” and estimated SpaceX’s contributions at more than $100 million. “We hope for further stable work of Starlinks in Ukraine.”
A Ukrainian military official called Shotwell’s comments “strange” given the country’s well-known use of Starlink as a combat tool.
Musk caused a stir in October when he publicly asked the Pentagon to take over funding for Starlink’s Ukraine efforts.
The billionaire and Twitter owner later gave in. Earlier this month, he raised the hairs on Zelenskyy’s hackles by arguing on Twitter that Russia should be allowed to keep the Crimean Peninsula, which it captured in 2014 to achieve peace.
Around the same time, Starlink terminals stopped working in newly liberated areas on the Ukrainian-Russian front in the Kherson region. Ukrainian officials later said this was because the speed of their recapture pushed forces into areas that Starlink had “geo-fenced” to prevent Russia from using the service.
In an interview in late December, Fedorov told The Associated Press that 24,000 Starlink terminals are operational in the country, most from donors.
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