Elon Musk said on Sunday that steps taken by SpaceX to prevent Russia from using its Starlink satellite internet service without authorization appear to have been successful, reports Reuters.
“Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done,” Musk, the SpaceX chief executive, said in a post on X.
The remarks followed statements from Ukraine that it was working with SpaceX to stop Russian forces from using Starlink to guide drones. Ukrainian officials said the satellite internet system had been found on long-range drones used in Russian attacks.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Thursday that Kyiv was cooperating closely with SpaceX to address the issue. “Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians, rather than being used for terrorism and the destruction of peaceful cities,” he wrote on X.
Despite past disagreements between Musk and Ukrainian officials over his views on the war with Russia, Ukraine’s military continues to rely heavily on Starlink. Tens of thousands of terminals are used for battlefield communications and for piloting certain drone missions.
Starlink has significantly expanded Musk’s geopolitical influence. In 2022, he asserted control over how and where the satellite network could be used by Ukrainian forces fighting Russian troops.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
