Pentagon to finance Starlink services for Ukraine
The Pentagon has inked a contract with Starlink, the company founded by Elon Musk, ensuring the uninterrupted provision of communication services in Ukraine. This decision was officially confirmed by the United States Department of Defense, Reuters reports.
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The Pentagon said it continues to work "with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need."
"Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the statement reads.
On October 14, 2022, SpaceX made an announcement stating that it was unable to bear the expenses for Starlink communication services in Ukraine any longer. Consequently, they reached out to the Pentagon, seeking assistance in covering these costs. SpaceX estimated that the required funding would amount to approximately $400 million over a span of 12 months. However, just one day later, Elon Musk reversed his decision, personally declaring his commitment to continue financing the communication services for Ukraine.
As of November 2022, Ukraine received more than 20,000 Starlink terminals from donors and partners.
On February 8, the company said it had restricted the use of Starlink by the Ukrainian military to control drones.
On February 18, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US administration had been negotiating with Musk regarding the use of the Starlink services in Ukraine.