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September 19, 2023Ukraine is seeking alternatives to the Starlink network owned by businessman Elon Musk.
This information reported according to El País.
However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have few alternatives that could replace the satellite communication system of SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk. Furthermore, SpaceX has boycotted military actions against Russia.
Ukraine’s existence largely depends on Elon Musk. The satellite communication provided by his company, SpaceX, serves as the “backbone of communication for Ukrainian military.” These were the words spoken by Elon Musk himself at a conference in Paris in September of this year. Every Ukrainian unit on the front lines has antennas for the Starlink satellite data transmission system. If they stop working, the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will collapse.
The country’s security depends not only on Musk’s direct actions, as he has repeatedly taken a conciliatory stance towards Russia, but also on his ability to unilaterally reduce the coverage area of Starlink on the front lines. Kyiv is looking for alternatives for its military communications, and they do exist. However, it is also acknowledged that completely abandoning Musk’s satellite system is not possible. Ukrainian military personnel must rely on the hope that the U.S. government guarantees that SpaceX will not leave them in a lurch.
In Ukraine, there are approximately 42,000 Starlink data transmission terminals. According to Mikhail Fedorov, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, nine months ago, there were 23,000 of them. Most of these are used by the military.
Starlink antennas are used differently on the front lines: they enable soldiers to communicate with their families, access mobile applications, but most importantly, they are used for military purposes. The connection allows for the transmission of orders and enemy coordinates through applications used by the military. Antennas are also integrated into the vehicles of assault units for communication with command, and, importantly, receivers are installed in combat drones to maintain communication with aircraft over long distances. Starlink is easily transportable in a backpack, eliminating the need for vehicles with large antennas.
However, over the past year, there have been increasing concerns about the risks associated with the fact that Ukraine’s military communication relies on Musk’s system.
According to Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukrainian intelligence agencies, he doubts that Musk is the only one who will make the decision to “press the button” and disable Starlink. However, the billionaire himself confirmed on September 8th on his social network X (formerly Twitter) that he had already intervened directly at least once. In September 2022, the Ukrainian government asked Musk to activate his satellites over Crimea to strike Russian fleets with a drone. Musk refused.
“If I had agreed to this request, SpaceX would have become involved in a major military operation and escalation of the conflict,” he said.
As El País reports, Ukrainian Armed Forces Captain Viktor Tregubov, alternatives to Starlink do exist, but they are limited. Evidence of this is that Ukrainian drones occasionally penetrate Russian territories, including Crimea, where SpaceX does not operate. What technologies Kyiv uses in these cases is classified information.
“Of course, alternatives exist; projects are being developed in the United States and Ukraine, and perhaps governments of allied countries are assisting us,” says Tregubov. “However, without Starlink, everything would be much more difficult.”
Satellite internet is offered by ten major commercial companies, but none of them can compare to SpaceX in terms of service quality, price, and mass usage. This year, the Swedish company Satcube provided a hundred of its terminals free of charge, which are also easy to transport and set up. However, the company’s size is significantly smaller than SpaceX’s and does not allow it to replace Starlink.
“Completely abandoning the system is not possible”: Ukraine seeks alternatives to the Starlink network, fearing Elon Musk’s statements.