- A Ukrainian official told The New York Times that Starlink satellites are vital to their communication systems.
- But he also voiced concerns about Ukraine’s overdependence on Musk’s global satellite system.
- His fears stem from several months of back-and-forth with Musk about the use of Starlink internet in the war against Russia.
Ukraine’s digital minister has reported concerns about the country’s overreliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system amid the war with Russia, The New York Times reports.
Mykhailo Fedorov told The Times that Starlink has become the “blood” of Ukrainian communication infrastructure. Starlink satellites make up the majority of satellites orbiting Earth, and the network is often useful for accessing the internet in war zones or regions struck by extreme weather disasters, The Times reports.
Starlink satellites, then, are invaluable resources — but also ones that Fedorov told The Times he’s worried Ukraine has become overdependent on.
Starlink internet has not always been available to aid Ukraine in the war effort. In September 2022, Ukrainian officials revealed Musk had blocked Starlink internet access in Russian-occupied Crimea, citing concerns about escalating the conflict. Around the same time, Musk also asked the US Pentagon to fund for their internet services to Ukraine because they could no longer afford to foot the bill, Insider reported.
In February, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said SpaceX — Musk’s company that houses Starlink — needed to pick a side in the war with Russia after Musk announced Kyiv could no longer use Starlink to control military drones.
SpaceX did not respond to Insider’s request for comment ahead of publication.
