https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/02/russian-forces-now-using-musks-starlink-on-ukraine-front-line/
Russian volunteer group brags about devices it said it had purchased for Russian forces.
A biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson published last autumn detailed how the tycoon refused to allow Starlink to be used by Ukrainian forces for a naval drone strike on Russian ships in Sevastopol.
Like I already disliked the guy, but seriously fuck this guy.
Realistically, that would mean nationalizing all of SpaceX. (Which I would support, although that's definitely not going to happen)
Probably this is captured equipment within the geofenced operational zone. Likely the geofence isn't responsive enough to changes in the frontline position (being more responsive might actually breech opsec). And likely Ukranians are having trouble with inventory control on their Starlink dishes -- knowing which ones are captured or not. Very likely the media is making this a bigger story than it ought to be, from a technical and logistical perspective. Practically speaking, this is like connecting to the enemy's civilian cell network while within range.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Russian forces are using Starlink terminals on the front line in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military, which said the adoption of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service by Moscow’s troops was becoming “systemic”.
In a post on X on Sunday Musk, the company’s chief executive, said: “A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia.
Musk provided thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian troops soon after their full-scale invasion in February 2022, giving Kyiv’s forces a valuable technological advantage in the form of high-speed internet for communications, targeting and battlefield management software.
However, Kyiv’s praise for the businessman turned to fury when Musk started to limit the operation of Starlink in areas of Ukraine that Russian forces have occupied since 2014, including Crimea.
But introducing or reintroducing so-called “geofencing” to stop Starlink use by Russia on the front line could also affect the Ukrainian military’s devices given the proximity of the two sides’ positions.
A biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson published last autumn detailed how the tycoon refused to allow Starlink to be used by Ukrainian forces for a naval drone strike on Russian ships in Sevastopol.
The original article contains 607 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 67%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!