SpaceX has sent Starlink Satellite internet kits to Ukraine, says company's President

Elon Musk led SpaceX has sent “thousands” of Starlink satellite internet kits to Ukraine, company President Gwynne Shotwell told CNBC on Tuesday. The special kits contain an antenna, a mounting tripod and a Wi-Fi-router- all of which are required to connect directly to a Starlink satellite orbiting in the space. At present, the Starlink constellation consists of nearly 2,000 satellites that aim to provide an uninterrupted internet connection to everybody across the globe. Notably, since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, SpaceX has provided hundreds of similar kits to Ukrainians.

“I’m proud that we were able to provide the terminals to folks in Ukraine. It’s been enormously helpful, I think, to ensure people are still communicating,” Shotwell said during a panel at the Satellite 2022 conference in Washington.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Musk has shown blatant support for the Zelenskyy administration. Earlier this month, the tech billionaire activated SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband service in Ukraine to aid its forces to combat Russians. Meanwhile, a recent report by The Times stated that Starlink satellites were helping Ukrainian military drones destroy Russian tanks and army trucks.

Talking about the funding for the Starlink kits, Shotwell revealed that most of the money came from privately private sources. However, she added that “France helped” and “I think Poland is helping.” Furthermore, she denied getting any help from Joe Biden administration. “I don’t think the U.S. has given us any money to give terminals to Ukraine,” Shotwell said.

Internet disruptions in Ukraine

Ukraine has seen a "series of significant disruptions of internet service" since Russia launched military operations in the country late in February. Starlink operates a constellation of over 2,000 satellites that ease internet access across the planet. The activation of Starlink services would circumvent Russia’s attempts to cut off Ukraine's internet from the world. 

After amassing troops on the Russia-Ukraine border for months, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on February 24,  ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region, which quickly accelerated into precision airstrikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, deployed tanks towards Lviv from the Belarus-Ukraine border. In the latest development, Russian troops have dropped two powerful bombs on besieged port cities of Mariupol. 

(Image: AP)