Starlink Serves as 'backbone' for Ukrainian Military, Says Musk
According to Elon Musk, the "entire frontline" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict would collapse if Kiev loses access to Starlink. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Switching off the system would lead to the collapse of the “entire frontline,” stated the tech tycoon.
The Ukrainian military relies heavily on the Starlink internet system, and shutting it down would result in the failure of the “entire frontline,” according to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Musk emphasized that the system “is the backbone of the Ukrainian army,” in a post on X this past Sunday. He further remarked, “Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off,” while describing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a stalemate and advocating for immediate peace. “What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose. Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop,” he added.
Back in late February, Reuters reported on Musk's consideration of cutting off Ukraine's Starlink internet access as a means to give Washington leverage in negotiations regarding natural resources. Musk denied these claims at the time, accusing the news agency of “lying” and fabricating the report.
Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, SpaceX has been supplying Starlink internet to the Ukrainian military. Over the years, more than 40,000 terminals have been delivered, establishing the system as a vital element in the military's command and control infrastructure.
In addition to communications, the terminals have also been employed in direct combat. Starlink dishes have frequently been observed attached to Ukrainian sea and aerial drones, providing these unmanned systems with reliable control capabilities that are difficult to jam.
SpaceX has also been offering Ukraine access to Starshield, a more secure and militarized version of the Starlink system. According to a Bloomberg report, Musk’s company secured a new contract with the Pentagon late last year, which included granting an additional 3,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine access to Starshield.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Ukrainian military relies heavily on the Starlink internet system, and shutting it down would result in the failure of the “entire frontline,” according to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Musk emphasized that the system “is the backbone of the Ukrainian army,” in a post on X this past Sunday. He further remarked, “Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off,” while describing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a stalemate and advocating for immediate peace. “What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose. Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop,” he added.
Back in late February, Reuters reported on Musk's consideration of cutting off Ukraine's Starlink internet access as a means to give Washington leverage in negotiations regarding natural resources. Musk denied these claims at the time, accusing the news agency of “lying” and fabricating the report.
Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, SpaceX has been supplying Starlink internet to the Ukrainian military. Over the years, more than 40,000 terminals have been delivered, establishing the system as a vital element in the military's command and control infrastructure.
In addition to communications, the terminals have also been employed in direct combat. Starlink dishes have frequently been observed attached to Ukrainian sea and aerial drones, providing these unmanned systems with reliable control capabilities that are difficult to jam.
SpaceX has also been offering Ukraine access to Starshield, a more secure and militarized version of the Starlink system. According to a Bloomberg report, Musk’s company secured a new contract with the Pentagon late last year, which included granting an additional 3,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine access to Starshield.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
