Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and owner of the Starlink satellite internet network, revealed details in an interview with The Economist about how Russian military forces gained access to the system's terminals. According to him, the company has never officially sold equipment to Russian citizens.
Smuggling through Ukraine
The businessman explained that the Russian armed forces obtained the terminals illegally. "We never sold Starlink to Russians at any point," Musk emphasized. According to his data, the equipment was ordered through Ukraine and then smuggled to the east of the country, where Russian troops are stationed. In some cases, these devices were used to conduct military attacks.
"Whitelist" as a solution
To prevent further leakage of equipment, Starlink, together with the Ukrainian government, developed a "whitelist" mechanism. Now, only terminals officially approved by Ukrainian authorities have access to the network. This has deprived Russian military forces of the ability to use satellite internet to coordinate their actions.
Side effect
However, according to Musk, the measure has a downside. Many ordinary users — students, freelancers, residents of remote regions — can no longer access Starlink, even if their requests are legitimate. The system has become stricter, but less flexible for civilians.
