“This is starting to become systemic,” the RBC-Ukraine news site quoted military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying on Saturday about Russian forces’ use of Starlink.
Talk about Russian troops using the satellite service bubbled up on Ukrainian social networks and media last week. Starlink isn’t active in Russia,meaning the service will not work in that country,the company said on Thursday on Musk’s X social media platform,formerly Twitter.
Starlink’s statement didn’t specify whether the prohibition would also apply to the four large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed in 2022,where hundreds of thousands of Russian troops are believed to be deployed.
In the past it has restricted the use of internet services in Russian-occupied territories.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Sunday,citing Ukraine’s military intelligence,that Russian forces are using the satellite internet system in occupied Ukraine.
Musk activated theStarlink satellite service in Ukraine during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion,responding to Kyiv’s plea. Soon,the devices became a vital part of the country’s infrastructure,providing internet services in areas of fighting and beyond.