2023-07-30 16:00:00
2023-07-31 00:00 Compiled by United Daily News Chen Xiaoci / comprehensive report
The New York Times recently reported that more than 42,000 Starlink terminals are playing a major role in the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield. The Ukrainian army relies on Starlink for communications and various military operations. However, because Musk, the founder of SpaceX, can arbitrarily change the scope of use of Starlink, Ukraine may be controlled by others, and his words and deeds have also deepened the doubts of Ukrainian and Western officials, doubting whether he will continue to support Starlink services for Ukraine.
Russia launched a cyber attack on Ukraine in February last year, successfully paralyzing the Viasat network communication service of the U.S. satellite company used by the Ukrainian army. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology Fedorov immediately asked Musk for help. A few days later, Musk opened the communication service. Wuxing chain service.
A Ukrainian soldier said that with the assistance of Starlink, the time from discovery to destruction of enemy targets has been reduced from the original 20 minutes to only regarding one minute. Fedorov claimed that the Starlink network, which helped save thousands of precious lives, is one of the keys to the success of the Ukrainian army on the battlefield.
But Musk’s words and deeds have gradually deepened Western doubts. He sparked discontent last September when he proposed a truce plan that would allow Russia to annex parts of Ukraine. In the same month, he also declared that SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, would no longer bear the service fee for Starlink, and asked the Pentagon to take over. It is said that Starlink service costs regarding US$400 million (regarding NT$12.6 billion) a year.
According to two people familiar with the matter, at the end of last year, regarding 1,300 Starlink terminals were out of service because the Ukrainian government might not pay the monthly cost of each Starlink terminal at US$2,500 (approximately NT$80,000).
In addition, Musk will also determine the scope of the Starlink to be opened according to the advancement or retreat of the Russian-Ukrainian front. People familiar with the matter said that Musk refused to turn on the Starlink near Crimea last year to prevent the Ukrainian army from sending drones to attack Russian ships, but he later argued that the Starlink might not be used for long-range drone attack guidance. U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin agreed to purchase an additional 400 to 500 Starlink terminals and related services in June. People familiar with the matter mentioned that this allows the Pentagon to decide which areas of Ukraine Starlink will operate in order to facilitate the implementation of key military missions.
Ukraine Russia Russo-Ukrainian War
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