Ukraine: Russia using Starlink; Musk: No we don’t allow it
Over the weekend Ukrainain officials reiterated the claim from last week that Russia soldiers are using Starlink terminals illegally in occupied territories.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian military intelligence said Russia is using Musk’s satellites to facilitate communications on the battlefield. The intelligence agency posted audio of an exchange between two Russian soldiers from the 83rd Assault Brigade in the Donetsk region, claiming that the Russians were speaking over Starlink.
Ukraine intelligence did not specify how many terminals it believed Russia had or how they might have been obtained. Still, Ukrainian Military Intelligence Spokesperson Andriy Yusov said that the use of Starlink by Russians was becoming “systemic.”
Musk soon responded on X, stating that SpaceX does not sell any of its terminals in Russia, and it immediately blocks use of stolen terminals in Russia once detected.
Musk however was very careful to say nothing about what happens in the occupied territories of the Ukraine where Russia troops operate. In the recent slow gains of territory that the Russians have achieved it could have captured terminals and begun using them, in their correct location. SpaceX would have no way to knowing who the user is.
I expect SpaceX will now take actions to deal with this issue, using information provided by the Ukrainians.
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In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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Over the weekend Ukrainain officials reiterated the claim from last week that Russia soldiers are using Starlink terminals illegally in occupied territories.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian military intelligence said Russia is using Musk’s satellites to facilitate communications on the battlefield. The intelligence agency posted audio of an exchange between two Russian soldiers from the 83rd Assault Brigade in the Donetsk region, claiming that the Russians were speaking over Starlink.
Ukraine intelligence did not specify how many terminals it believed Russia had or how they might have been obtained. Still, Ukrainian Military Intelligence Spokesperson Andriy Yusov said that the use of Starlink by Russians was becoming “systemic.”
Musk soon responded on X, stating that SpaceX does not sell any of its terminals in Russia, and it immediately blocks use of stolen terminals in Russia once detected.
Musk however was very careful to say nothing about what happens in the occupied territories of the Ukraine where Russia troops operate. In the recent slow gains of territory that the Russians have achieved it could have captured terminals and begun using them, in their correct location. SpaceX would have no way to knowing who the user is.
I expect SpaceX will now take actions to deal with this issue, using information provided by the Ukrainians.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
All they have to do is tell the public there is no way that could even happen without them knowing.
And then behind the scenes tap in and monitor the communications.
Why would Russia need it ?
Russia has their own satellites and, they have missile tech to shoot down satellites.
Did musk allow Ukraine to use Starlink?
I could have sworn he said that he was not going to allow Russia or Ukraine get access to it over Ukraine ?
Safe to say that the vast majority of illegal activity in Ukraine is perpetrated by America, UK, Israel and the Ukrainian neoNazi war criminals. It is no secret that Ukraine is thee most corrupt nation in Europe. Nor have we forgotten about genocide Joes corrupt financial ties to Ukraine.
Given all the dubious weapon bio labs in Ukraine, what’s the odds that Cov 19 came from Ukraine and not the American hired lab in Wuhan China ?
According to the MSM, the Ukrainians are saints. Who still listens to the lying Covid snakes in MSM ?
Tucker Carlson had at least 10’s of millions of views of his bizarre interview with Putin the day it was made public. Not because Carlson is trustworthy, he is very dubious, it was because we all wanted to hear Putins side of this Ukrainian US instigated shenanigans that has killed how many Ukrainians ?
Why did America stage that coup in Ukraine in 2014?
What is the game plan here and, where is all our public money being laundered/trafficked to?
Meanwhile, we get deadly clot shots for a fake pandemic, the politicians are doing whatever they want to do during “lockdown”, lost our jobs, robbed blind by the energy companies, kids going hungry, people struggling with the extortionate cost of living increases. Not a penny of taxes for those paying taxes ?
We are starting to look like 1920’s Germany !!!
Still, got to keep the herd diverted with bs MSM fantasy stories of distraction right ?
I’m not buying any of it.
Musk never said he would not let the Ukraine use Starlink services.
He did say he could not provide them free and someone needed to start paying. They did.
Russia is one of the nations not allowing Starlink to be sold inside its boarders. Musk wanted to sell inside the Russian market but Russia(Putin) did not want unlimited and un-monitored access given to its citizens.
As for the different political parties inside the Ukraine I see no evidence that Russia is not financing the ones against the Ukraine joining (On its own) NATO. Russia could even be financing those nasty NeoNazi groups.
If Putin didn’t want The Ukraine to join NATO he should never have attacked and taken Crimea. He should never have promised to reform the old Soviet Union.
Starlink, under Musk’s direction, provided Ukraine with thousands of free residential & commercial terminals, each $600 & $2500 respectively. Starlink or Musk also provided free use for a year, clearly for a limited time, equal to $120 to$500 a month. The kerfuffle last year was Ukraine’s expectation they didn’t ever have to pay, and Starlink threatened to cut the service off until DoD (your money) stepped up to pay it, and there was never a service interruption.
On the tech side, every terminal is geo-located within a few hundred yards so use in Russia is not happening. Russia is geo-fenced off. It’s possible Russian forces could capture a Ukrainian terminal to use in Ukraine, but Ukraine can shut those terminals down with a simple phone app that controls each terminal.
IF Russians are using Starlink in captured Ukraine territory it means they are capturing CPs & either the Ukrainians have lost tracking ability, have defectors turning it over, or are being overwhelmed.