As of: February 13, 2024, 5:06 a.m
By: Lisa Mahnke, Sandra Kathe
Comments
Press
Split
Ukraine's secret service confirms Russia's use of the US Starlink satellite system.
SpaceX and Russia officially deny it, doubts remain.
Update from February 12, 2024, 5:55 p.m.:
While the Ukrainian secret service has long since considered the alleged use of Starlink by Russia in the frontline area to be proven, Moscow rejects the allegations.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the necessary SpaceX equipment is not officially certified in Russia and therefore cannot be used.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, also reiterated that no Starlink equipment will officially be sold to Russia.
The spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Andriy Yussov, remained steadfast and emphasized, as the secret service has done before, the route through intermediaries: “Today the Russian Federation is not only the number one terrorist country, but also the number one smuggler country.”
Andriy Yusov remains steadfast despite counterarguments from Russia and SpaceX.
© picture alliance/dpa/Ukrinform |
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Ukraine secret service safe: Russia uses Starlink on the front lines
First report from February 12, 2024, 4:04 p.m.:
Kiev - In the war against Russia, the US satellite communications system Starlink, which belongs to tech billionaire Elon Musk, has so far been one of the most important tools, especially for Ukraine.
But reports suggest that Russia is now also using the modern technology.
Since Musk's company SpaceX denies having done business with Russia, there is now speculation about possible intermediaries.
The findings were made public by various media reports, including the US portal
Defense One
.
The Ukrainian secret service then confirmed on Sunday that Russia not only had Starlink terminals on Ukrainian territory, but was also using them more and more.
The authority also published an audio file that is said to come from the Russian-occupied side of the front.
Someone can be heard saying in Russian: “Starlink works, there is internet.”
Starlink in the Ukraine war: According to military sources, Russia has been using the system for months
But while the Starlink operating company SpaceX assured Ukraine of its support shortly after the start of the war and initially provided the country with free satellite communications to defend the country, business with the Russian government and its military has always been ruled out.
The company most recently emphasized this on Thursday when it published a statement on the short message service X after SpaceX “never sold or marketed in Russia (...) and has not delivered any equipment to locations in Russia.”
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Starlink has been an important means of communication for Ukrainian frontline soldiers almost since the beginning of the war.
(Archive photo) © Lev Radin/Imago
Defense One,
however
, said that Ukrainian military sources have been talking for months about Russian soldiers using the technology in the Ukraine war.
There were also reports that the Starlink terminals ended up with the Russians through intermediaries in Dubai.
This has not yet been proven.
According to a report in the Ukrainian newspaper
Kyiv Independent,
several Russian companies have recently offered alleged Starlink terminals for sale.
SpaceX asserted that these must be counterfeits.
Availability of Starlink: SpaceX wants to check and shut down unauthorized terminals
According to a report by the
German Press Agency
, SpaceX had stated in the past that the service was not available in Dubai and that devices could not be delivered there.
In its statement on Thursday, however, the company assured that if it found out about unauthorized use, it would check it and shut down the relevant terminals as quickly as possible.
While Starlink was a great help to Ukraine at the beginning of the war of aggression, problems are now starting to arise between Ukraine and Musk.
A few months ago, Musk declared that he had prevented a Ukrainian attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet by refusing to activate Starlink in the region around the annexed Crimean peninsula.
(saka/lismah with dpa)