The head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mikhail Fedorov, said that the problem of using Starlink by Russian occupiers was discussed “before it gained resonance.” The department found a solution and presented it to SpaceX.
Fedorov said this in an interview with Public. We found an algorithm, proposed it to SpaceX, and now we are communicating on how to make sure that such cases do not happen. SpaceX has already done something similar with the Israeli government,” said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development.
According to him, it is necessary not only to turn off Starlink in temporarily occupied territories, but to ensure that only terminals owned by Russians do not work. They are useful for the Ukrainian Armed Forces because they maintain communication with the UAV.
“There is another way to make our Starlinks work and the others not. We are working with SpaceX on this,” said Mikhail Fedorov.
He also said that he does not believe that Elon Musk is involved in the fact that Russians use Starlink in temporarily occupied territories, and believes that they reach them through third countries.
Fedorov said that there are no concerns about the shutdown of Starlink terminals in the Ukrainian Armed Forces because he “understands the regulatory architecture of their operation.”
“For individual missions, such as at sea, we use other communication systems – special military satellite communications, backup communications of third and fourth companies. But Starlink remains the basic infrastructure on the front line and I think everything will be fine with them in the future,” said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development.
Earlier, Ukrainian volunteer Sergei Sternenko said that Russians began to use Starlink satellite Internet . The military also published this information on social networks.
SpaceX responded to the situation and denied any interaction with the Russian Federation, including in relation to Starlink services. “SpaceX does not do any business with the Russian government or its military,” Elon Musk’s company noted.
Subsequently, the General Directorate of Intelligence reported that Russia was purchasing communications equipment from Arab countries, including Starlink satellite Internet terminals , for use in the war against Ukraine. As evidence of this, Ukrainian intelligence officers received radio interceptions of conversations between the occupiers, who also named the cost of the terminals.
Source: https://dev.ua/