Pentagon, SpaceX Counter Claims of Starlink Use in Russia

The US Department of Defense and Elon Musk's SpaceX have responded to recent reports that Starlink internet terminals were being supplied to and deployed in Russia via a Middle Eastern intermediary.

Pentagon and SpaceX Respond to Reports of Russia Using Starlink

Ukrainian soldiers have alleged that Russia's military has begun using Elon Musk's satellite communications network in Ukraine, and a local journalist has published their reports.

The assertions have generated indignation among pro-Ukraine politicians and on social media, with some citing Musk's purported restrictions on Kyiv's use of Starlink in seized regions, including Crimea.

They also expressed national security worries over his company's Starshield contract with the Department of Defense. In response to a Newsweek email, the Pentagon refused to comment.

A Ukrainian journalist first reported Russia's alleged use of the service.

"The military writes that the occupiers have Starlink with licensed accounts," Andriy Tsaplienko, a Ukrainian journalist, said on his Telegram channel, sharing a screenshot of two posts on X, formerly Twitter, that he says are from two Ukrainian soldiers.

"They began to deliver Starlink en masse, via Dubai, accounts are activated, they work in the occupied territories," one of the soldiers with the X handle @_Serhij_ wrote, referring to the four regions of Ukraine that were illegally annexed by Russia in the fall of 2022—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Another X user, @cpt_mitchell, reported that Ukrainian soldiers "can already see their Starlinks," adding, "I honestly thought they would do it sooner."

Musk's aerospace company, SpaceX, operates Starlink. There is no proof that Musk or SpaceX are aware of or responsible for the claimed incident.

In response to a Newsweek email, SpaceX declined to comment but provided a link to its message via a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military," the statement said. "Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning [the] service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Russian stores are claiming to sell Starlink for service in that country, they are scamming their customers."

"Starlink also does not operate in Dubai. Starlink cannot be purchased in Dubai nor does SpaceX ship there. Additionally, Starlink has not authorized any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in Dubai," it went on. "If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed."

The statement did not expressly address the possibility of Starlink being used outside of Russia, namely in occupied Ukraine, which fueled further conjecture. The map of the geographies Starlink covers on its website appears to contain at least some contested territories and Russian-occupied territories.

SpaceX Sends 22 Starlink Satellites Into Orbit From The West Coast

SpaceX launched 22 Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday evening, as per UPI. At at 4:34 p.m., the Elon Musk-owned spacecraft contractor streamed the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket via X. PST from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster flew for only two minutes before landing on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean at 4:42 p.m. The satellites entered low-Earth orbit at 4:43 p.m.

The 22 Starlink satellites join SpaceX's growing constellation of over 5,000 orbitals that provide high-speed, low-latency Internet worldwide. This was the Falcon 9's 14th flight, following seven prior Starlink missions.

Photo: ANIRUDH/Unsplash