The latest reports point out that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said that Russian military units are expanding the use of SpaceX's Starlink system near the Russian-Ukrainian conflict line. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk denied the information.
The Ukrainian side believes that the Starlink system can help its front-line troops communicate safely, thus avoiding relying on communication methods that are more easily monitored by the enemy. According to Ukrainian intelligence spokesman Andrei Yusov, Ukraine intercepted wireless communications from Russian forces, which showed that they were exploiting Starlink terminals.
In response, Musk responded quickly on social platforms, denying SpaceX's transaction with the Russian army and ensuring that no Starlink terminal was sold directly or indirectly to Russia.
In addition, some ** have reported that although the Starlink terminal cannot be purchased in Russia, the Russian army may have purchased the equipment from a third country and used it on the military front. It is also possible that the Russian army captured the Starlink terminal from the Ukrainian army and connected it to the Starlink network. However, while SpaceX can track the geographic location of a particular Starlink user, it may be difficult to determine whether the user is a Russian or Ukrainian soldier.
Since the introduction of the Starlink system to conflict zones, its use has been a sensitive and political issue. Considering the Ukrainian military's heavy dependence on Starlink, when SpaceX said in 2023 that it could no longer fund Ukraine's use of the service, U.S. and Ukrainian supporters had to provide funds to keep the service running.