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Reuters: US government speaks to Elon Musk about Starlink use in Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news desk February 19, 2023 6:18 AM 1 min read

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 18 in an interview with NBC News that the U.S. government had conversations with Elon Musk about the use of his company SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

SpaceX had put measures in place to prevent Ukraine's Armed Forces from using the company's Starlink satellite internet service for controlling drones, SpaceX's president said on Feb. 8, Reuters reported earlier.

In response to a question during an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press with Chuck Todd" that will air on Feb. 19 whether the U.S. had asked Must not to restrict Starlink's use in Ukraine, Blinken said: "Well, I can't share any conversations we've had other than to say we've had conversations."

Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by tech billionaire Elon Musk's spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX, has been crucial for providing communications for the Ukrainian military, as well as for energy, telecommunications, healthcare, and agricultural facilities in Ukraine.

According to Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, as of December, Ukraine had received around 22,000 Starlink antennas since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Author: The Kyiv Independent news desk

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Reuters: US government speaks to Elon Musk about Starlink use in Ukraine

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