Jakarta - The founder and CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, claims that his company has managed to stop the unauthorized use of the Starlink satellite internet service by Russia in the conflict against Ukraine.
Musk's statement was made via his X account on Sunday, February 1, following Ukraine's concerns about Russia's alleged use of Starlink to guide long-range drone attacks on Ukrainian territory.
"It looks like the steps we've taken to stop Russia's unauthorized use of Starlink have worked. Let us know if additional steps are still needed," Musk wrote on X.
Previously, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, said that the Ukrainian government was working with SpaceX to prevent Russia from using the Starlink internet system. The statement was made after Kyiv found that Starlink devices were used on long-range drones launched by Russia in an attack on Ukrainian territory.
"We are working with SpaceX to stop Russia from guiding drones using the Starlink internet system," Fedorov said on Thursday, January 29.
He stressed that Western technology should be used to protect civilians and support democratic countries, not to be used for violent purposes.
"Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians, not be used for terrorism and destroy peaceful cities," Fedorov said via X.
Although Elon Musk often has a different view from Ukrainian officials regarding the war with Russia, the Ukrainian military is still heavily dependent on the Starlink service. Tens of thousands of Starlink units are used for battlefield communications as well as the operation of a number of Ukrainian drone missions.
Starlink itself has expanded Musk's geopolitical influence since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. In 2022, Musk openly stated control over how and where Starlink can be used by Ukrainian forces fighting against Russia.
Musk's latest statement reaffirms SpaceX's central position in the modern conflict, where commercial technology has a direct impact on global military and security strategies.
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