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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Reshaping Perspectives and Catalyzing Diplomatic Evolution

In Ukraine, announced the absence of problems with the work of Starlink

Ukrainians reacted with amazement on Thursday to the remarks of the president of the American company Starlink, who said on Wednesday that Ukraine had “weaponized” its satellite Internet communication system, essential to the country’s national security.

However, the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation said there were no problems with the operation of satellite internet in the country and thanked the founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, for his support for the Ukraine.

Gwenn Shotwell, president of SpaceX, which operates the Starlink system, also said on Wednesday that the Elon Musk-controlled company had taken steps to prevent the Ukrainian military from using Starlink technology against Russian aggressors. Shotwell did not specify exactly what action the company took.

A network of low-orbit satellites has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s use of combat drones – a key element in waging a protracted war – and the country’s defenders have no real alternative to Starlink services. Satellite communications help the Ukrainian army locate the enemy and strike with artillery.

Speaking at a conference in Washington, Shotwell said: “We were very excited to be able to connect Ukraine [к Интернету] and help them in their fight for freedom. [Система Starlink] never intended to be used as a weapon. However, the Ukrainians took advantage of this in a way… which is not foreseen by any agreement.

After the event, Shotwell spoke with The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets, saying SpaceX was working to limit Ukraine’s use of Starlink for military purposes.

“There are things we can do to limit their capabilities,” the SpaceX official said, according to media reports, without going into specifics. “There are things we can do that we have already done.”

This statement angered presidential aide Volodymyr Zelenskyy . In a tweet, Mikhail Podolyak said SpaceX must decide which side it is on – with Ukraine, which asserts its right to freedom, or with Russia, which Moscow says has the “right” to kill people. people and to seize other peoples’ territories.

At this point, it’s unclear whether Shotwell’s comments yesterday were initiated by Elon Musk, the founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX. The company did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the SpaceX president’s statement.

There is no interruption in Starlink’s work in Ukraine at the moment.

Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fedorov said that “there are no problems with the operation of Starlink terminals in Ukraine.”

A ministry spokesman familiar with the situation said Thursday’s inspection showed no signs of problems with the operation of Starlink in towns near the front lines.

The network, which has 2,200 satellites, has become a lifeline for the country since the start of the Russian invasion last February. With the help of satellite Internet, the country’s authorities can ensure the functioning of the electricity network and the telecommunications system in the face of constant attacks by Russian missiles and drones against civilian targets.

Fedorov spoke about the arrival of the first batch of Internet terminals supplied to Ukraine by the German authorities. In total, the country will receive 10,000 new Starlink terminals.

“Starlink helps save thousands of lives every day. The energy infrastructure continues to operate thanks to Starlink. Doctors perform complex operations through the connection provided by Starlink,” the minister added, calling Elon Musk “one of the greatest private donors to our future victory” and estimating the company’s contribution to the supply of Internet communications in Ukraine to more than 100 dollars. million.

“We hope that Starlink’s stable work in Ukraine will continue,” Fedorov added.

A spokesman for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry called Shotwell’s statements “strange,” given the well-known fact that the military uses Starlink as a combat tool.

Musk publicly called on the Pentagon in October to take over funding for Starlink’s work in Ukraine. However, soon the billionaire and owner of Twitter changed his mind and promised to continue funding. Yet a few days later, he again drew the ire of Ukrainian authorities by tweeting that peace would only be possible if Russia was allowed to keep the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014. He also said that Ukraine should abandon the idea of ​​joining NATO, because the country, in his opinion, should remain neutral.

Around the same time, Starlink terminals ceased to operate in the newly liberated territories on the Ukrainian-Russian front line in the Kherson region. Later, the Ukrainian authorities said that this was due to the fact that the speed of the advance of the troops forced the Ukrainian armed forces to move into areas where Starlink, using special technologies, did not allow the Russian army to use the Internet.

In late December, Fedorov told The Associated Press that there were 24,000 Starlink terminals in operation in the country, most of which were provided by donors.

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