Elon's Starlink on Russian drones

Russia has installed Starlink terminals in its Iranian-designed Shahed drones, according to a Ukrainian media report, which would mark the latest upgrade to the destructive kamikaze drones long used against Ukrainian cities if confirmed.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down a Shahed-136 attack drone that was fitted with Starlink during aerial attacks overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Kyiv has leaned heavily on Starlink's internet access for battlefield communications and for controlling Ukraine's vast drone fleets.

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Starlink is owned and operated by entrepreneur Elon Musk's aerospace firm, SpaceX, and accounts for a huge percentage of active satellites. Musk has vehemently denied that Starlink is being sold to Russia.

  Newsweek

Maybe given to Russia?

"Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country," the company said in a statement. "SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Russian stores are claiming to sell Starlink for service in that country, they are scamming their customers."

Or Starlink (Musk) is gaslighting Americans, more likely.

"If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed," the company added.

September 2023

Starlink terminals connect to SpaceX satellites in orbit and have been crucial for maintaining internet connectivity and communication in Ukraine as the conflict has disrupted the country infrastructure.

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Kyiv had sent an emergency request to activate Starlink to Sevastopol, home to a major Russian navy port, he said.

His comments came after a book alleged he had switched off Starlink to thwart a drone attack on Russian ships.

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"By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet via Starlink interference, Elon Musk allowed this fleet to fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities," he said.

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The row follows the release of a biography of the billionaire by Walter Isaacson which alleges that Mr Musk switched off Ukraine's access to Starlink because he feared that an ambush of Russia's naval fleet in Crimea could provoke a nuclear response from the Kremlin.

  BBC

So Musk is deciding foreign policy.

Responding to the book's claim, Mr Musk said on X that SpaceX "did not deactivate anything" because it had not been activated in those regions in the first place.

And Elon Musk would never lie. Or work with Russia.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.