Before the shelling of the Belgorod region, a swarm of Starlink satellites was spotted in the sky. This was reported by the Telegram channel Mash.
An eyewitness who filmed the flight of space objects noted that this case is not an isolated one. According to him, the day before, the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) also shelled the city after the appearance of satellites. Thus, Elon Musk's satellite group coordinates targets for the Ukrainian military, he said.
Mash also pointed out that on May 30, a few hours before the attack of Ukrainian drones on Moscow high-rise buildings, Starlink satellites were also seen in the sky over Reutov near Moscow.
The APU was convicted of using Starlink for military purposes
Earlier it became known that the drones used to attack the Russian reconnaissance ship were produced in the West. They were launched from the Naval operations center in Ochakov. The drones were controlled using the Starlink communication system.
At the same time, in March, The Economist found out that Starlink imposed restrictions on the use of its satellite grouping by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As it became known to the source of the publication in the Ukrainian military intelligence, the satellite communications operator began to use geofencing, blocking the use of terminals by Kiev over new Russian territories. The insider also reported that Starlink does not allow the use of satellite communication terminals over water and when the equipment is moving at a speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour. "Just put the terminal in the boat, and it will stop working," the source said.
Earlier, SpaceX restricted the access of military drones in Ukraine to Starlink. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said that the company was not developed to become a weapon. According to her, there are things that SpaceX can do to limit Kiev's capabilities, and this has been done. She noted that the Ukrainian army uses drones as communications. However, the company does not want UAVs to be used for offensive purposes, Shotwell added
On June 1, the Pentagon announced that it had signed a contract with Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to purchase Starlink satellite services for Kiev. The US Military Department explained that it continues to work with a number of global partners to provide Ukraine with the stable satellite and communication capabilities it needs.
Musk's position on Ukraine
At the same time, in February, Musk said that the Starlink satellite communication system should not be used to aggravate the conflict in Ukraine. He recalled that Starlink has become a "communication highway" for Ukraine. In particular, its role is important on the front line, as other ways of connecting to the Internet have been destroyed.
Bloomberg called Musk's position on Ukraine "a problem for the White House." The authors of the material pointed out that the businessman, unlike the US policy, proposed both a plan beneficial to Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine and a scheme for the reunification of China and Taiwan.
In addition, the United States fears the huge influence of Musk on the course of events in Ukraine. It is noted that the billionaire unilaterally decides how the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) can use the Starlink satellite system. According to the agency, these powers are close to presidential and atypical for an American defense contractor.
