Pentagon Deals Russia a Blow Over Starlink

The Pentagon has teamed up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to block the unauthorized use of Starlink satellite-based broadband systems by Russia’s military in Ukraine, dealing a blow to Moscow in the ongoing war.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb told Bloomberg that the U.S. has been “heavily involved in working with the government of Ukraine and SpaceX to counter Russian illicit use of Starlink terminals.”

Starlink’s terminals, operated by Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, provide users with high-speed internet and have been used extensively by Ukraine’s forces in the war amid the full-scale invasion of the country. They are largely supplied via a $23 million contract with the Pentagon.

In February, Ukrainian soldiers claimed that Russia’s military had been using the satellite communications network in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief told The Wall Street Journal in February that thousands of Starlink satellite communications terminals had been used by Russian troops in Ukraine “for quite a long time.” He said they had been purchased from private Russian companies that obtained them from intermediaries who delivered the equipment via neighboring nations.

Musk has denied the sale of Starlink terminals in Russia. Newsweek has reached out to SpaceX and Russia’s Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Plumb said the Pentagon has “successfully countered Russian use” at this time, adding: “But I am certain Russia will continue to try and find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems.”

Although “it will continue to be a problem, I think we’ve wrapped our heads around it and found good solutions with both Starlink and Ukraine,” Plumb added, declining to expand on what measures have been taken to block Russia’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink user terminals.

It comes days after Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called on the Pentagon to tackle the issue, saying it poses a “serious national security threat” to the U.S. and its allies, WSJ reported.

“As a DoD contractor, SpaceX cannot allow its products or services to be used to undermine national security,” Warren wrote in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the publication reported on May 6.

“Defense contractors are paid big bucks to help the U.S. and our allies, not undermine U.S. foreign policy,” Warren wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on May 7. “I’m asking [the Pentagon] to hold [SpaceX] accountable and ensure it keeps Starlink technology out of the hands of American adversaries.”

In response to a Newsweek email on the matter in February, SpaceX did not provide a comment but linked to its statement posted on X.

“SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military,” the statement said.

“Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Russian stores are claiming to sell Starlink for service in that country, they are scamming their customers.

“Starlink also does not operate in Dubai. Starlink cannot be purchased in Dubai nor does SpaceX ship there. Additionally, Starlink has not authorized any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in Dubai.

“If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed.”

The statement did not explicitly address the question about the potential use of Starlink outside Russia, namely in occupied Ukraine, fueling further speculation.

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