Ukraine will receive more than 10,000 Starlink terminals from SpaceX, Minister Fedorov said
Ukraine agreed with Elon Musk’s SpaceX corporation to receive thousands of additional Starlink terminals to counter Russian attacks aimed at destroying energy infrastructure.
More than 10,000 Starlink devices that provide satellite Internet will be sent to Ukraine in the coming months, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov reported in a comment to Bloomberg.
“SpaceX and Musk quickly react to problems and help us,” said Fedorov, adding that he has talked to Musk directly. “Musk assured us he will continue to support Ukraine. When we had a powerful blackout, I messaged him on that day and he momentarily reacted and has already delivered some steps. He understands the situation.”
SpaceX satellites are part of the Starlink network, which transmits high-speed Internet to antennas on Earth. It played an important role at the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine when the Russian military focused on destroying communications. Starlink antennas allowed Ukrainian troops to maintain communication.
According to Fedorov, Ukraine received about 22,000 Starlink terminals after February 24.
And although there is no valid contract yet, the governments of several European Union countries are ready to share the payment for Starlink, Fedorov said, refusing to publicly name them. “As of now all financial issues have been resolved,” the minister noted, adding that Ukraine will need to find additional funding in the spring.