House Democrats contact company about Russia’s alleged use of satellite internet service in war with Ukraine
US House Democrats are investigating SpaceX to determine if Russia has utilized the company’s Starlink satellite internet service in its conflict with Ukraine. A letter sent to the company on Wednesday, authored by Democratic representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California, follows Ukrainian officials’ claims in February of discovering evidence of Russian use of Starlink terminals for satellite internet, which they labeled as a “systemic problem.”
After reports of misuse, Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, clarified that the company had not directly sold any Starlink terminals to Russia. In their letter, Raskin and Garcia asserted that Russia’s alleged “misuse of Starlink terminals outside Russia’s internationally recognized borders poses a serious threat to Ukraine’s security, Ukrainian lives, and US national security.” They demanded that the company report any complaints regarding unauthorized access to the satellites.
The letter, dated Wednesday, stated, “Russian procurement, use, or interference with Starlink terminals all have the potential to further Russia’s brutal and illegitimate invasion of Ukraine.” The Democratic lawmakers requested SpaceX to reply by March 20th.
The Kremlin has refuted claims that its troops utilize Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX owned by Elon Musk. SpaceX did not provide a comment in response to a request regarding the letter, which was initially reported by the Washington Post.
In 2023, Starlink entered into a contract to deploy over 400 of its terminals to Ukraine. These terminals offer high-speed internet crucial to Kyiv’s battlefield communications.
US lawmakers are investigating as western nations rush to assist Ukraine with additional arms and financing following Kyiv’s unsuccessful counteroffensive last summer and Russia’s regaining of the upper hand on the battlefield.
Ukraine is gearing up for further counter-offensive actions, more than two years after Russian troops invaded the neighboring former Soviet state.
Kyiv has appealed for increased aid, but a crucial US assistance package has been delayed by Republicans in Congress under the direction of former President Donald Trump, who is running for the White House for a third time and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Joe Biden intends to renew his request for a $95 billion aid package for weapons for Ukraine in his State of the Union speech on Thursday night.