– Starlink was never intended to be used as a weapon, emphasized the head of Musk’s company SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell earlier in the month.
According to her, the Ukrainian defense has, among other things, used the Starlink satellites to search for targets using drones, which the company finds completely unacceptable.
– There are things we can do to limit their ability to do this. There are things we can do, and which we have all done, Shotwell said during a technology conference in Washington.
Here you can read everything about the war in Ukraine
Used unintentionally
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX received a lot of attention when, right after the Russian invasion, it supplied Ukraine with thousands of Starlink terminals.
Tesla founder Elon Musk refuses Ukraine to use the Starlink satellites as part of weapons systems and offensive warfare. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB
The country currently has at least 25,000 such terminals, which give Ukrainians the opportunity to communicate with each other and the outside world, despite the fact that the mobile network in many places has been destroyed in Russian attacks.
Many of the terminals were a gift from Musk, but most were financed by countries such as the United States and France.
– However, the Ukrainians have used them unintentionally and in breach of agreements, notes Shotwell.
According to the SpaceX chief, the Ukrainian defense only has the opportunity to use the Starlink satellites for ordinary communication.
– The intention was never that they should be used for offensive purposes, she states.
Proposed peace plan
– Starlink is intended exclusively for peaceful use, Musk tweeted all in September.
A few weeks later, the Tesla founder stirred up Ukrainian leaders when he proposed a peace plan for Ukraine in a twitter message to his over 100 million followers. The plan included, among other things, that Russia must be allowed to keep the Crimean peninsula.
– Crimea will become part of Russia, as it has been since 1783, the proposal said.
Musk further proposed a referendum under the auspices of the UN in other Russian-occupied areas, so that the citizens can decide for themselves whether they want to be part of Russia or Ukraine.
Answer to indictment
The Tesla boss received a quick response to accusations from the Ukrainian side.
– My very diplomatic answer to you is “fuck off” , tweeted Ukraine’s then ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk.
– The only outcome of this is that no Ukrainian is ever going to buy your damn Tesla crap, he added in another twitter message.
Melnyk has since been brought home to Kyiv where he now holds the post of deputy foreign minister in the government.
Watch video: Ukraine claims to have destroyed Russian terror weapon
Expensive
Musk responded by pointing out that the Starlink contribution to Ukraine last year cost SpaceX over NOK 1.2 billion and that the Ukrainians’ use of the terminals in the following twelve months would cost the company another NOK 4 billion.
The Tesla owner went on to point out that the Ukrainian defense leadership had recently requested an additional 8,000 Starlink terminals, but asked the Pentagon to foot the bill since Melnyk had told him to stay out of Ukraine.
– We are not able to provide more terminals to Ukraine or to finance the existing terminals indefinitely, he wrote in a letter to the US defense leadership.
Then the Starlink terminals of the Ukrainian forces at the front suddenly stopped working.
When Shotwell was asked if it was the company that disconnected them from the network, she answered evasively this month.
– I don’t want to answer this, because I’m not sure if I know the answer, she said.
– Come to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj came out strongly against Musk’s proposed peace plan and has more than hinted that Musk is running Vladimir Putin’s errands.
– Which Musk do you like best, the one who supports Ukraine or the one who supports Russia , he asked his followers on Twitter.
The Starlink terminals in Ukraine are now up and running again, but reportedly cannot be used directly in warfare.
Zelenskyj has invited the Tesla owner to Kyiv to see the Russian destruction with his own eyes, but no such visit has taken place.
– I don’t know if anyone else has an influence on him, or if he makes these choices himself. If you want to understand what Russia has done here, then come to Ukraine. Then you will see it with your own eyes. Only then can you tell us how to end this war, Zelenskyy said in November
