Ukrainian suicide naval drones which reportedly use Starlink as a data-link.
SpaceX has taken measures to prevent Kiev forces from using the Starlink satellite internet service for controlling drones used in military operations, SpaceX’s president said on February 8.
The Starlink satellite internet constellation was activated over Ukraine just a few days after the Russian special military operation last year. The system quickly became the main internet and communication provider for the Kiev government and its forces.
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said during a conference in Washington, D.C. that Starlink was “never never meant to be weaponized.”
“Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement,” she told reporters.
Shotwell referred to reports that Kiev forces had used the Starlink service to control drones used in operations against the Russian military.
“There are things that we can do to limit their ability to do that,” she said, referring to Starlink’s use with drones. “There are things that we can do, and have done.”
Using Starlink with drones went beyond the scope of an agreement SpaceX has with the Ukrainian government, Shotwell said, adding the contract was intended for humanitarian purposes such as providing broadband internet to hospitals, banks and families affected by Russia’s invasion.
“We know the military is using them for comms, and that’s ok,” she said. “But our intent was never to have them use it for offensive purposes.”
Ukraine internet service is now being provided by more than 20,000 Starlink terminals, some from Western governments and volunteers, in addition to many provided directly by SpaceX. The Russian military has been hunting down Starlink terminals on the ground with direct fire and working to disturb the system with electronic warfare means.
Ukraine’s use of Starlink to control military drones is well-documented. Last, October, several Ukrainian suicide naval drones attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea’s Sevastopol Port. The drones data-link was reportedly built around a Starlink terminal.
SpaceX’s decision to curb Ukrainian use of Starlink for controlling drones may be meant to protect the company from any legal consequences. Meanwhile, Kiev forces will apparently continue to use the system for military communications just like before.
