Elon Musk’s satellite internet network, Starlink, is no longer just helping Ukraine fight the Russian invasion, it’s also helping Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to reports from Ukrainian soldiers, as well as Russian publications, Starlink units are being delivered “en masse” to Russian volunteer forces in the illegally occupied regions of Ukraine. The units are being sent from intermediaries in Dubai.
If true, while there is no evidence connecting the sale to Musk, this undermines Starlink operator SpaceX’s contract with the US Department of Defense to provide satellites in Ukraine. The internet service, which relies on low-Earth orbit satellites that enable internet connectivity in remote areas, has become a crucial tool in battlefield communications for Ukrainian forces.
In the early days of the war, Musk said that Starlink gave Ukraine a “major battlefield advantage.”
And while there is no evidence of Musk being involved, it’s not the first time that he would be. In August, a report found that Musk deliberately inhibited Ukraine’s access to Starlink to appease Russia and China.
Musk has also previously tweeted a pro-Russia “peace plan” that would make illegally annexed “Crimea formally part of Russia.” His involvement wouldn’t at all be surprising, considering the far-right’s shift toward supporting Putin and Russia.
Musk also recently shared right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson’s controversial interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Carlson is one of the biggest names in Musk’s drive to turn X into a media platform.
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