Due to a financial issue, Ukraine lost access to 1300 Starlink terminals.
According to CNN, Ukraine’s military had a partial internet outage as recently as October 24th after 1,300 Starlink terminals went offline because of a financial shortfall. The outage happened in the midst of ongoing discussions between SpaceX and the Department of Defense, despite Elon Musk’s declaration that his business will continue to pay for the nation’s Starlink usage.
“Negotiations are actively taking place. A senior Pentagon source told the network, “Everyone in our building knows we’re going to pay them, but we want something in paper because we worry he’ll change his mind.
In a letter to the Pentagon in September, SpaceX requested that the Defense Department assume responsibility for paying costs associated with Ukraine’s use of its Starlink internet service. After widespread criticism, Musk appeared to change his mind about approaching the US government for help on October 15. Musk then told The Financial Times that the corporation would continue to do so “indefinitely” after tweeting, “To hell with it… we’ll just keep funding Ukraine government for free.”
SpaceX requested in a letter to the Pentagon in September that the Defense Department take over paying costs associated with Ukraine’s use of its Starlink internet service. Musk appeared to change his mind about approaching the US government for help on October 15 in response to criticism. Musk tweeted, “To hell with it… we’ll just keep funding Ukraine government for free,” later told The Financial Times that the business will continue to do so “indefinitely.”
The outage from a month ago caused a “major problem” for the Ukrainian military, according to CNN. The nation bought the 1,300 terminals in March from a British business. Ukraine reportedly paid SpaceX $2,500 per month to maintain each unit in service. In the end, the nation requested assistance because it was no longer able to afford the $3.25 million monthly bill.
Uncertainty exists around whether the Pentagon will have more authority over the Starlink service in Ukraine should SpaceX and the US Department of Defense ever reach a deal. Currently, the firm determines which locations Ukrainian forces can access the terminals.
