Elon Musk Refuses To Allow 'Offensive' Use Of Starlink By Ukraine, Says Won't Enable Escalation Of Conflict

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday (13 February) refused to allow 'offensive' use of US private space major's Starlink satellite internet sevice by Ukraine against Russia.

Ukraine has been using the Starlink to control long-range drones that were being used to strike Russian forces amid the ongoing war between the two countries for nearly a year.

Musk said that Starlink is the communication backbone of Ukraine, especially at the front lines, where almost all other Internet connectivity has been destroyed.

"But we will not enable escalation of conflict that may lead to WW3," Musk said in response to a user's tweet which urged restoration of "full functionality" of Starlink satellites in Ukraine.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has had a significant impact on Ukraine's war effort, providing a crucial online link for Ukrainian soldiers engaged in battles with Russian forces, even in regions where digital infrastructure has been destroyed.

However, the Ukrainian military's utilisation of the technology is now being called into question following recent comments by Musk and a SpaceX executive.

On 1 February, Musk tweeted that SpaceX would not "allow Starlink to be used for long-range drone strikes."

Furthermore, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's President and COO, stated at a conference in Washington that the technology was "never meant to be weaponised."

Shotwell explained that Ukraine had utilised the technology in a manner that was "unintentional and not part of any agreement," Reuters reported.

She added that Starlink has taken steps to limit the Ukrainian military's use of the technology for drone control.

According to Shotwell, the use of Starlink with drones by the Ukrainian military went beyond the agreed upon purposes with SpaceX.

Shotwell noted that the agreement between SpaceX and the Ukrainian government regarding the use of Starlink was for humanitarian purposes, such as providing broadband internet access to hospitals, banks, and families affected by the Russian invasion.

She stated that while the military using Starlink for communication is acceptable, using it for offensive purposes was not part of the original intent.

"We understand the military is using Starlink for communication purposes, which is acceptable," Shotwell was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"However, it was never our intention for the technology to be utilised for offensive purposes," she added.