Moscow Is Using Starlink, Says Ukraine --- Russian access to Musk's system would undercut advantage for Kyiv

"KYIV, Ukraine -- Russian forces are using SpaceX's satellite internet system near the front line in parts of Ukraine, Kyiv's military intelligence agency said, potentially undercutting a major battlefield advantage for Ukraine's army.

Access to the system, known as Starlink, has enabled front-line Ukrainian forces to communicate via secure internet chat apps, allowing them to stay in contact without relying on cell or radio signals, which are easier to intercept.

Elon Musk, who leads SpaceX and is its largest single owner, responded on Sunday.

"A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false," Musk wrote in a post on X, a platform he also owns. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia."

Starlink users need such terminals to connect with the network's orbiting fleet of satellites to obtain internet service.

In a statement on Thursday, Starlink said the service doesn't work in Russia but didn't address whether it could be used in Russian parts of Ukraine. A spokesman for SpaceX didn't respond to requests for comment Sunday.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence agency, said Kyiv had intercepted radio communications from Russia's 83rd Separate Air-Assault Brigade in the  Donetsk region that indicated they were using Starlink terminals.

"This is starting to become systemic," Yusov said of the Russian use of Starlink in Russian territory.

It is possible that Russian forces have captured Starlink equipment from Ukrainian soldiers, allowing them to tap in to the Starlink network. While SpaceX has the ability to track Starlink users within specific geographic locations, it might be difficult for the company to determine whether users are Russian or Ukrainian troops, especially in battlefield areas.

Satellite-communications companies work to manage where their networks offer internet service to users on the ground. Providers need permission from different countries' regulators to sell satellite-backed connections and want to avoid doing so in areas where they haven't secured those rights.

Although Starlink systems can't be purchased in Russia, Ukrainian media reported that Russian forces have been purchasing the devices in third countries and bringing them to the front.

Access to Starlink has been a politically charged issue since early in the conflict, when Musk decided to make the service available in Ukraine. Starlink is considered so vital to Ukrainian operations that, last year, when SpaceX said it could no longer fund access for Kyiv, the Pentagon agreed to pay to keep the service running." [1]

1. World News: Moscow Is Using Starlink, Says Ukraine --- Russian access to Musk's system would undercut advantage for Kyiv. Lovett, Ian; Maidenberg, Micah.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 12 Feb 2024: A.8.