"Never switch off"

Musk: Ukraine can continue to use Starlink

A Starlink terminal in the Ukraine

(Bild: AFP/Yasuyoshi CHIBA)

Starlink CEO Elon Musk has made it clear that the Ukrainian army should retain access to the extremely important satellite network. "To be clear, no matter how much I disagree with Ukrainian policy, Starlink will never shut down its terminals," Musk wrote on X on Sunday. 

Starlink is a satellite network that enables access to the internet even in very remote regions of the world. Following the Russian invasion in February 2022, Musk made Starlink available to Ukraine. The Ukrainian military uses it in its defense against the Russian war of aggression; it is often the only means of communication on the front line.

Backbone of the Ukrainian army
Following the scandal in the White House between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Trump ordered the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine. The transfer of intelligence information was also stopped for the time being. This led to fears in Kiev that the Ukrainian troops would no longer have access to Starlink.

Musk had initially fueled these concerns by writing: "My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I shut it down."

After the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, among others, voiced criticism and engaged in a battle of words with Musk on X, the Starlink boss ultimately made it clear that Ukraine should continue to have access to the satellite network. He would never shut down Starlink, Musk said, "and would never use it as a bargaining chip."