Russia owns Starlink terminals (Ilon Musk’s Internet satellite company) and is increasingly using them on the front lines in Ukraine, Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed on Sunday, The Kyiv Independent reports.

The announcement by the Military Intelligence Service of Ukraine (MUR) came after several media outlets reported that Russian forces had access to the Starlink satellite internet system in Ukraine.

Along with this confirmation, Ukrainian military intelligence also released a recording of an intercepted phone conversation in which the Russian military discusses the successful installation of the Starlink terminal. These are servicemen of the 83rd Airborne Assault Brigade of the Russian Federation, which is based in the Donetsk region near Klishchiivka and Andriivka, the GUR reports.

HUR spokesman Andriy Yusov told the RBC-Ukraine agency that Russia’s use of Starlink is growing “to a systemic level.”

While reports of the consequences of Russia’s use of the technology have been vague, the Ukrainian military told Defense One that it would make life difficult for them.

Starlink is operated by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company, and is widely used by the Ukrainian military for military purposes.

It is unclear how the Russians managed to get hold of the Starlink systems, as Elon Musk’s company has repeatedly said in the past that it does not do business with the Russian government. One hypothesis put forward by some commentators is that the Russians may have bought the Starlink systems through intermediaries in some third country markets.

The Starlink service is vital for Ukrainian troops

Starlink, a satellite communications service that can provide Internet connectivity even in the most remote areas of the planet, has been used by Ukrainian forces since the beginning of the conflict for a variety of operations, including battlefield communications.

In the fall of 2022, SpaceX, the company that manufactures Starlink, warned the Pentagon that it may stop this vital service for Ukraine, which it has been offering for free since the beginning of the war. Elon Musk drew attention to the fact that the operation has become too expensive and he cannot carry it out for free indefinitely. According to the billionaire, the maintenance costs were $20 million a month. In the end, the Pentagon agreed to support Starlink costs for Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war, SpaceX has provided Ukrainians and the country’s military with the Internet service Starlink, a network of more than 4,000 low-orbit minisatellites, at the expense of private donations and under a separate contract with the US foreign aid agency. Earth.

Russia has attempted to disrupt and block internet services in Ukraine, including blocking Starlink in the region, but SpaceX countered these attacks by hardening the service’s software.

____

• Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro