--- title: "SpaceX Sabotages Ukraine’s Military Capabilities Against Russia" description: "SpaceX isn't willing to have its satellite internet service used for drone strikes by the Ukrainian military and is cutting their ability to do so." date: "2023-02-10" modified: "2023-02-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space-ukraine-military-russia" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "starlink" - "ukraine" --- # SpaceX Sabotages Ukraine’s Military Capabilities Against Russia ![SpaceX isn't willing to have its satellite internet service used for drone strikes by the Ukrainian military and is cutting their ability to do so.]() *\Image: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images\* When Russia first invaded Ukraine last year, Elon Musk made the [splashy announcement]() that SpaceX would provide internet to the embattled country using its Starlink satellite internet system. Ukraine's frontlines have even made use of the terminals to [control drones]() for strikes, something that has drawn the attention of the international community. Now, though, is cutting off the Ukrainian military's ability to control drones using the service, [the *BBC* reports](), leaving a sizable hole in its defenses. "We know the military is using them for comms, and that's ok," SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell [said during a Wednesday conference](). "But our intent was never to have them use it for offensive purposes." "However, Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement," she said. As a result, SpaceX has since decided to cut the Ukrainian military off. "There are things that we can do to limit their ability to do that," she added, referring to using Starlink to control drones. "There are things that we can do, and have done." Understandably, Ukrainian officials have reacted with outrage. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, asked SpaceX if it was "on the side of the right to freedom" in [a tweet](), or "on the Russian Federation's side and its 'right' to kill and seize territories." The space company has [donated tens of thousands]() of Starlink terminals to the embattled country since Russia's invasion began, to the delight of Ukrainian officials. But Musk later asked the Pentagon to pay for these terminals. SpaceX "cannot fund the existing system indefinitely \*and\* send several thousand more terminals that have data usage up to 100X greater than typical households," Musk [tweeted]() back in October. "This is unreasonable." The company apparently later changed its mind, [sending additional devices]() late last year. Musk also threatened to stop sending terminals after Andrij Melnyk, Ukraine’s outspoken ambassador to Germany, [told the CEO to "f\*\*\* off"]() after Musk [insinuated]() that Ukraine should hand over parts of its territory to Russia or risk a nuclear war. In short, it's been a strained relationship between the company and the Ukrainian military, especially with Musk [expressing increasingly sympatheties]() to Russia. More recently, Musk has argued that its involvement in Ukraine is putting it in an awkward position. "SpaceX Starlink has become the connectivity backbone of Ukraine all the way up to the front lines," Musk [tweeted on January 31](). "This is the damned if you do part. " "However, we are not allowing Starlink to be used for long-range drone strikes," he added. "This is the damned if you don’t part." **READ MORE:** [Ukraine war: Elon Musk's SpaceX firm bars Kyiv from using Starlink tech for drone control]() \[*BBC*\] **More on SpaceX:** *[Breaking: SpaceX Reaches Major Starship Milestone, Fires 31 Engines At Once]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()