1,300 Starlink terminals serving the Ukrainian army were closed due to financial reasons
In September, Elon Musk, who asked the Pentagon to take over the financing of this work, declared on October 15 that despite financial losses, Ukraine “Starlink” will continue to cover satellite communication costs
1,300 of the “Starlik” satellite communication terminals operating in Ukraine have stopped working. This was reported by CNN citing unnamed sources.
It is noted that the initial closure occurred on October 24 and this of Ukraine in March Britain affected the terminals he bought from his company and used in military operations.
According to CNN, Ukraine 2,500 per month for each of its 1,300 Starlink terminals dollars paid. Total expenses up to September 20 million dollars and the army could not pay for the operation of the terminals.
The information also mentions that at the beginning of October Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Britain 3.25 million monthly from the army dollars asked to pay.
“We maintain a number of terminals that are of direct tactical importance for the Ukrainian army to repel the invasion of Russia,” – Britain the official told the TV channel.
SpaceX in September USA In a letter to the Department of Defense, Starlink said it could no longer afford to send satellite terminals to Ukraine and asked the Pentagon to take over the funding.
On October 15, Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will continue to pay for Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine, despite the company’s financial losses.
According to a Pentagon source told CNN, the department and SpaceX are continuing negotiations on financing the project, despite Elon Musk saying that he is ready to provide Starlink services to Ukraine for free.
“Everybody in our building knows we’re going to pay them,” a senior Pentagon official told CNN.
Starlink is actively used by the Ukrainian military to communicate with each other, receive intelligence and control drones.
CNN notes that although it is not known exactly how many terminals are used by the Ukrainian army, the 1,300 terminals that have been suspended make up a significant part.
Russia He attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022. During this period, a number of cities and towns of the country were destroyed, thousands of people perished and millions of people fled the country.