Ukraine claims Russian forces using Starlink internet service

twistypencil , 5 months ago

Wait, didn’t us tax payers pay for Starlink? So your taxes is going to the other side? Also can they call Starlink Stalinlink instead?

TWeaK , 5 months ago

According to an excerpt from the book, Musk secretly ordered his engineers to turn off his company’s Starlink satellite communications network near the Crimean coast last year to disrupt a Ukrainian sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet.

As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes.

Musk’s decision, which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites back on, was driven by an acute fear that Russia would respond to a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with nuclear weapons, a fear driven home by Musk’s conversations with senior Russian officials, according to Isaacson.

That’s a much more convoluted line of reasoning than Starlink simply never working in Crimea. It certainly gets people talking about his book, though.

twistypencil , 5 months ago

Are you saying he doesn’t have sources?

TWeaK , 5 months ago

His source is Musk, who also gets money from selling the book where this quote originates. He’s also an idiot.

The fact is though that Starlink was never premitted to operate in Crimea or any territory under Russia’s control before the 2022 invasion. Occupied parts of Ukraine (excluding Crimea, which is also really an occupied territory) are something of a grey area, and it’s possible that Russians have subverted checks that SpaceX had to prevent Russia from using the technology, but Crimea was always a clear cut dead zone for the service.

They couldn’t really “turn it back on” as it was never on there to begin with. The submarines simply left the operational zone of the service, they weren’t switched off.

twistypencil , 5 months ago

And your source is?

TWeaK , 5 months ago

The US sanctions that say US businesses cannot operate in Crimea.

twistypencil , 5 months ago

Yes, but for every sanction, there are licenses that cover exceptions

Rapidcreek , 5 months ago

Seems to me that this is a good opportunity for a surveillance and disinformation program. The Russians are threatening the NSA with a good time.

Spitzspot , 5 months ago

End all his government contracts!

Stamets , 5 months ago

Didn’t Musk propose a peace plan that just gave Russia everything they wanted? Why wouldn’t he give them Internet access?

echo64 , 5 months ago

The American government /was/ paying for starlink (as it is not sustainable, nevermind profitable by itself. Shockingly few people in the middle of nowhere can’t pay for infinite rocket launches). They said the service wasn’t good enough to keep paying for it.

So now Musk doesn’t care about trying to apease the Americans and will seemingly let Russia use it. Why not

TWeaK , 5 months ago

Because Musk’s businesses operate in the US and are subject to US sanctions.

Hopefully there will be consequences - although that might depend who is in the White House next year.

HowRu68 , 5 months ago

Because Musk’s businesses operate in the US and are subject to US sanctions.

Exactly, if this story checks out, it’s time he as person and all other Putin loving friends are fully sanctioned, and put on the list.

saltesc , 5 months ago

There should be. This seems like an open and shut case of disregarding sanctions which is a huge no-no. I believe George Bluth refered to it as “light treason”. Gets extra juicy since it’s being used by the military of an enemy of the state. Wonder how much of US weaponry or aid to Ukraine has suffered from an attack using Starlink.

“We didn’t realise.” would not cut it. That’s direct opposition to the intent of the US. That’s going against your country.

Sanctus , 5 months ago

Musk competing for the head chair at the table in hell.

autotldr Bot , 5 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

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Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence claims it has confirmed the use of Starlink satellite communications by Russian forces in occupied areas.

It says it has intercepted conversations which indicate the Starlink terminals are being used to provide internet access to Russia’s 83rd Air Assault Brigade operating in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine’s claim follows revelations about the satellite system’s use in the war made in a biography of Starlink’s owner Elon Musk, written by Walter Isaacson.

According to an excerpt from the book, Musk secretly ordered his engineers to turn off his company’s Starlink satellite communications network near the Crimean coast last year to disrupt a Ukrainian sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet.

As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes.

Musk’s decision, which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites back on, was driven by an acute fear that Russia would respond to a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with nuclear weapons, a fear driven home by Musk’s conversations with senior Russian officials, according to Isaacson.

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The original article contains 285 words, the summary contains 172 words. Saved 40%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!