The Kremlin on Monday denied reports that its armed forces were using the Starlink satellite internet system developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX in Ukraine, Reuters and Yahoo News reported.
Asked about it on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Starlink terminals are not certified in Russia and therefore cannot be used in the country.
“These systems are not certified by us, so they cannot be officially presented here and are not officially provided,” stressing that Starlink “cannot be used in any way” by the Russians.
He also told Kremlin-authorized reporters that Moscow “maybe” should not interfere in “the discussion between the Kyiv regime and businessman Musk,” apparently referring to previous disagreements between the South African billionaire’s company and leadership in Kyiv over the use of Starlink for military purposes.
Images posted on social media last Friday show how the Russian military managed to get hold of numerous Starlink antenna systems that will allow them to access SpaceX’s network of satellites that can provide them with internet coverage even in remote areas and on the front lines.
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 advanced by some commentators is that the Russians may have acquired Starlink systems through intermediaries in some third-country markets.
The Kremlin and Elon Musk deny the use of the Starlink system by Russian forces
After the images appeared on social networks, Kyiv’s special services said that the Russian armed forces were indeed using Starlink systems to coordinate their forces.
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.
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.
However, Elon Musk strongly denied that the Starlink system would be used by Russia.
“Several fake news claims that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false. We have no information [terminal] Starlink was not sold directly or indirectly to Russia,” the billionaire wrote on Sunday on the X network, which he owns.
A number of fake news claims that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia.
This is categorically false.
As far as we know, Starlinks have not been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 11, 2024
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Source: Hot News
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