The Pentagon and SpaceX are currently working together to stop Russia’s illegal use of Starlink satellites on the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to John Plumb, the US Department of Defense’s outgoing assistant secretary for space policy, the Pentagon is working closely with SpaceX and the Ukrainian government to combat Russia’s illegal use of Starlink terminals.
Plumb made the comments in an interview with Bloomberg, emphasizing that the U.S. has successfully combated Russia’s abuses, although Russia continues to try to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems.
He left open what tactics, techniques or procedures would be used to curb Russia’s use of SpaceX’s portable communications terminals. Ukrainian government officials have not yet commented on this.
Starlink terminals continue to be offered for sale on Russian platforms such as e-commerce site Ozon. According to sellers, the connections work through subscriptions taken out on behalf of residents of European countries where the technology is licensed. They claim that the connections – not in the heart of Russia, but in nearby border areas such as the occupied territories of Ukraine – are working.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called on the Pentagon to restrict the use of Starlink in Russia and other unauthorized regions, saying it poses a “serious national security threat” to the US and its allies. As of May 2022, Ukraine had received 10,000 Starlink terminals, crucial for wartime communications.