Musk refused to turn on Starlink satellite Internet in Crimea at the request of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In 2022, the Ukrainian military asked Elon Musk to turn on the Starlink satellite Internet in the Crimea, which they needed for the operation, but were refused.

Source. The New York Times reports this with reference to two sources familiar with the situation.

The sources claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces planned to send a naval drone with explosives to Russian ships in the Black Sea, but due to Musk's refusal, they had to change their strategy. Starlink is often the only way to access the Internet in combat zones. In Ukraine, it is used, among other things, to coordinate drone strikes and gather intelligence.

According to the journalists, Starlink worked only in the areas controlled by Ukraine, and it was turned off in the occupied territories. Therefore, the publication writes, the Ukrainian military had problems with communication during the liberation of Kherson. However, they turned to Musk, and he responded quickly.

Interlocutors of the publication say that Musk has repeatedly restricted access to Starlink during the war. Earlier it was reported that SpaceX has taken measures to prevent the Ukrainian military from using Starlink satellite Internet to control drones. The company's president, Gwyn Shotwell, said this at a conference in Washington. She did not specify what measures she was talking about.

After the Russian invasion began, SpaceX sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine to provide the country with a stable Internet connection during the war. Part of SpaceX's costs were reimbursed by the US and French governments. In January, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov reported that the country had received 30,000 Starlink terminals.