Russian forces in occupied Ukraine are using Starlink satellite internet terminals manufactured by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, the Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said on Sunday the 11th of February, reports Reuters.
In a comment to the media, the department’s spokesman, Andrei Yusov, reported cases of Russians using Starlink devices, describing the situation as systemic.
The GUR claims that the terminals have been used by units including the Russian 83rd Airborne Brigade fighting near the towns of Klishchiivka and Andriivka in the eastern Donetsk region.
This was the first official statement by Ukraine on Russia’s alleged use of Starlink.
The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate confirmed that the Russians now have Starlink terminals at the front.
“Yes, cases of use of these devices by Russian occupiers have been recorded. This is beginning to become systemic,” said the department’s press representative Andriy… pic.twitter.com/JzOAgPkMV9
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 11, 2024
However, Elon Musk denied reports that SpaceX had sold Starlink terminals to Russia in a post published on Sunday on the X. He said: “To our knowledge, no Starlink spacecraft have been sold to Russia, directly or indirectly.”
Musk called these allegations categorically false.
The GUR agency said it had intercepted an alleged exchange between two soldiers about the installation of the terminals and shared an audio recording on Telegram as evidence. But the GUR is still clarifying how Russian forces obtained the terminals, whether by purchase or from Ukrainian forces.
Starlink earlier had also stated on X that its terminals did not operate in Russia and SpaceX had never sold or marketed the service there, nor it had sent the equipment to Russia. However, the company did not comment on the possible use of terminals in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Starlink has confirmed that if the terminals are found to be used by sanctioned parties, they will investigate and, if confirmed, deactivate them.
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