The U.S. Department of Defense stopped the Russian military from using Starlink, as stated by John Plumb, the assistant secretary of defense for space policy. Bloomberg reported this. The Russian army wanted to use Starlink internet terminals in Ukraine.
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In an interview with Bloomberg on May 9, Plumb said that the Pentagon is actively helping Ukraine and SpaceX to stop Russia from using the satellite system illegally.
The Pentagon and SpaceX agreed to support access to the terminals for the Ukrainian armed forces. But earlier this year, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence told the Wall Street Journal that Russian forces in Ukraine were also using Starlink terminals.
Pentagon Efforts to Combat Russian Use
Plumb stressed that the US government is firmly dedicated to collaborating with Ukraine and SpaceX to stop Russia from misusing Starlink. While he didn’t mention particular strategies to stop access, Plumb admitted that Russia’s efforts to misuse the system continue to be a challenge.
“For now, we have successfully stopped Russian use, but I’m sure Russia will continue to try to find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems,”
Plumb told Bloomberg.
Ukraine depends a lot on Starlink. Reports say about 42,000 terminals are being used across different sectors like the military, hospitals, businesses, and aid organizations.
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How Does Russia Acquire Starlink Terminals?
Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that Russia bought Starlink terminals from Arab countries, based on intercepted communications. Elon Musk denied that SpaceX sold Starlink units to Russia.
The spread of Starlink technology involved SpaceX in the complex geopolitics of war. While the company can control access to the service through geofencing and disabling devices, the easily activated hardware ended up in the hands of US adversaries and suspected war criminals.
In Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of war crimes and human rights abuses, uses Starlink. The group’s deputy commander, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, reportedly arranged for the purchase of hundreds of terminals from traders in the United Arab Emirates, as per the WSJ.
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