Ukrainian troops have reported widespread failures of Starlink internet communications equipment, supplied by Elon Musk's SpaceX company, on the frontlines of the country's ongoing conflict with Russia, The Financial Times reported on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2022) Ukrainian troops have reported widespread failures of Starlink internet communications equipment, supplied by Elon Musk's SpaceX company, on the frontlines of the country's ongoing conflict with Russia, The Financial Times reported on Friday.
The Starlink equipment failures led to a "catastrophic" loss of communications in recent weeks as Ukrainian forces advanced into Russian-controlled territory, the report said, citing Ukrainian officials and soldiers.
The most significant outages were reported from the areas around Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, as well as along the eastern front in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, the report said.
Problems with communication arose when Ukrainian soldiers moved across the frontline into Russian-controlled parts of the country, prompting panicked calls to helplines, according to the officials.
"It is absolutely clear to me that this is being done by representatives of Starlink to prevent the usage of their technology by Russian occupation forces," Roman Sinicyn, co-ordinator for a foundation that donates Starlink systems to the Ukrainian armed forces, is quoted as saying in the report.
The Ukrainian military and SpaceX need to coordinate more closely, Sinicyn also reportedly said.
Musk commented on the report in a series of tweets, accusing the authors of the report of distorting the facts. The report "falsely claims" that Starlink's terminals and services were paid for, when only a "small percentage" have been, Musk said. The operation has cost SpaceX $80 million so far and is expected to exceed $100 million by the end of 2022, Musk also said.
However, Musk did not corroborate the reports about the Starlink outages in Ukraine. Musk maintains "regular contact" with Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, according to the tweets.
Additionally, Musk said he is "trying to do the right thing," noting that the right thing is "not always clear."
The reports come following a contentious, viral poll published by Musk asking for public opinion on a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, which included measures like new UN-monitored referenda in regions with aspirations of joining Russia and guarantees of water supply to Crimea.
The poll was met with backlash by Ukrainian officials, who widely criticized Musk for promoting peace negotiations with Russia.
