![]() ![]() Just an hour before Russian troops launched their full-scale assault in the early hours of Feb. Ukraine isn’t the only country to see the importance of satellite communication in the unfolding war in Eastern Europe. “We’re ready, even if there is no light, no fixed internet, through generators using Starlink, to renew any connection in Ukraine.” Star Wars: Battle for the sky “We’ve got more than 11,000 Starlink stations and they help us in our everyday fight on all the fronts,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, told POLITICO. Commanders have been impressed by the company’s ability, within days, to deliver thousands of backpack-sized satellite stations to the war-torn country and keep them online despite increasingly sophisticated attacks from Russian hackers. The conflict in Ukraine also has provided Musk and SpaceX’s fledgling satellite network with a trial-by-fire that has whetted the appetite of many Western militaries. “He never, to this day, has been able to silence Zelenskyy.” Steve Butow, director of the space portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit, the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley tech outpost. “The strategic impact is, it totally destroyed Putin’s information campaign,” said Brig. President Joe Biden to French leader Emmanuel Macron.Īll told, Starlink - and Ukraine’s use of the satellite network, both for its military and civilians - has thwarted Russia’s efforts to cut the Eastern European country off from the outside world, giving Kyiv a much-needed victory against Moscow in a conflict that shows no sign of ending. ![]() Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the country’s president, has regularly updated his millions of social media followers on the back of Musk’s network, as well as holding Zoom calls with global politicians from U.S. People in besieged cities near the Russian border have stayed in touch with loved ones via the encrypted satellites. Ukrainian drones have relied on Starlink to drop bombs on Russian forward positions. But Musk’s Starlink - based on a cluster of table-sized satellites flying as low as 130 miles above Ukraine and beaming down high-speed internet access - has become an unexpected lifeline to the country: both on the battlefield and in the war for public opinion. The United States, European Union and other NATO countries have donated billions of dollars in military equipment to Ukraine since the war began in late February. ![]() Ukrainian forces now find themselves in a war of attrition with the Russian army that, despite setbacks in and around Kyiv, continues to chip away at local resistance in the country’s east. The first 100 days of Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor have left thousands dead and even more injured. “This is exactly what we need,” he added in reference to the rockets. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |